Post Traumatic Stress Disorder And The Law

This work addresses a diverse audience of individuals with an interest in forensic psychiatry by shedding light on issues related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It presents guidelines for forensic assessment that can serve both plaintiffs and defendants in litigation involving PTSD claims, with chapters on current and future trends, diagnosis of PTSD, PTSD in children and adolescents, and disability determination. The book is useful for mental health professionals, the legal community, and third-party payers. Simon is professor of psychiatry and director of the Program in Psychiatry and Law at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.

Covering all relevant legislation, from the Statute of Limitation to the Mental Treatment Act, this text is a resource on this significant element of personal injury law.

'Nervous shock' cases form an area of law, which illustrates well the operation of judicial policy. It is possible from such cases to trace the changing attitudes of lawyers, doctors and of society in general to psychiatric injury over the last century. These cases also highlight the changing judicial attitudes to the scope of duty of care and to the whole issue of policy decisions. The recognition of nervous shock similarly illustrates the development of medical knowledge in relation to psychiatric injury. The recognition of Post traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) has been a relatively new and controversial phenomenon and this disorder has now been incorporated into the various classifications of mental disorder as a recognisable psychiatric illness. This book examines the development of the law and medical knowledge in relation to cases of nervous shock and in particular to PTSD. The expansion and subsequent contraction of liability is shown to be dynamic in nature, as both legal and medical knowledge have increased. The intention of this book is to provide a concise review of the law comparing it to current medical knowledge in relation to PTSD. The book is intended to be of use to professionals involved in psychiatric injury cases who require an up to date understanding of PTSD.

A useful tool for the attorney, or non-attorney practitionerrepresenting a veteran in a post-traumatic stress disorderclaim. It is a comprehensive guide to all the major primaryand secondary sources on veterans law.

This volume brings together the leaders in the field of PTSD research to present an up-to-date summary and understanding of this complex disorder. All of our current knowledge and controversies concerning the diagnosis, epidemiology, course, pathophysiology and treatment are described in detail. The evidence for efficacy for each of the different forms of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy is reviewed. Particular attention is paid to at-risk groups, including minorities, and coverage of PTSD throughout the world is reviewed as well. The authors present state-of-the-art findings in genetics, epigenetics, neurotransmitter function and brain imaging to provide the most current and comprehensive review of this burgeoning field.

In World War I, they spoke of shell shock. By World War II, the term was battle fatigue. Modern understanding of trauma psychology has evolved to give the concept a non-military name: posttraumatic stress disorder. As such, it has been at the heart of civil and criminal cases from workers' compensation to murder. PTSD and Forensic Psychology brings its topic into real-world focus by examining posttraumatic stress as a clinical entity and taking readers through the evaluation process for court cases involving the PTSD syndrome. This timely reference differentiates between PTSD and disorders that may be mistaken for it, and demonstrates its legal application in seeking civil damages and mounting a criminal defense. An evidence-based framework for conducting a trial-worthy evaluation and guidelines for establishing strong cases and refuting dubious ones further illustrate the protocols and challenges surrounding the status of PTSD in legal settings. For maximum usefulness, the book offers courtroom advice for expert witnesses as well as "practice points" at the end of each chapter. Featured topics include: History of the PTSD concept and its relation to the law. PTSD as syndrome: symptoms, diagnosis, treatment. PTSD and other traumatic disability syndromes. PTSD in the civil litigation and criminal justice systems. PTSD as an insanity defense and in claims of diminished capacity. PTSD cases: evaluation, interpretation, testimony. This thorough yet concise analysis makes PTSD and Forensic Psychology the ideal training tool for beginning mental health expert witnesses, as well as a concise practical review and reference source for seasoned forensic psychologists. It will also serve as a useful practice and teaching guide for attorneys, medical rehabilitation professionals, military personnel, psychotherapists, researchers, and educators in the fields of clinical and forensic psychology, criminology, traumatic stress studies, and mental health law.

This is an all-embracing reference that offers analyses and discussions of contemporary issues in the field of PTSD. The book brings together scientific material from leading experts in the field relating to a wide range of important current topics across disciplines. These include the early identification of PTSD and subsequent treatment, to social and behavioral studies, to biochemical, molecular and genetic research. With more than 125 chapters organized in 12 major sections, this is the most complete single resource on PTSD.

Covering all relevant legislation - from the Statute of Limitation to the Mental Treatment Act - this text aims to act as a unique resource on this significant element of personal injury law. It should be of interest to litigation solicitors, barristers involved in personal injuries, the judiciary, and medical personnel.