ABPN Forensic Psychiatry case studies
ABPN Forensic Psychiatry · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Forensic Psychiatry is an ABPN subspecialty certification for psychiatrists whose work sits at the intersection of mental health and the legal system. It is designed for physicians who evaluate and treat individuals involved in legal proceedings, consult to courts, correctional facilities, and attorneys, and who must reason carefully about the ethical and systems questions that arise when clinical care and legal process overlap. The ABPN Forensic Psychiatry case studies are 5 cases and about 2,776 words.
1Competency to Stand Trial in a Defendant with Fluctuating Cognition
R, 44, is charged with aggravated assault after a witnessed altercation outside a bar. He has a documented traumatic brain injury from a 2019 motor vehicle collision and a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder, currently in early remission (4 months).
560 words, about 3 min2Fitness-for-Duty Evaluation Requested by the Employer Who Is Also the Treating Clinician
L is a psychiatrist employed by a regional hospital. The hospital's employee health office asks her to perform a fitness-for-duty evaluation of Ms.
576 words, about 3 min3Malingering Versus Genuine Deficit in a Personal Injury Claim
K, 52, is the plaintiff in a civil suit following a low-speed rear-end collision (estimated impact 15 mph, no airbag deployment, vehicle drivable). He claims disabling cognitive impairment, cannot work as an accountant, and reports that he 'cannot remember anything since the crash.' He is 14 months post-injury.
516 words, about 3 min4Boundary and Reporting Obligations When a Patient Discloses a Planned Harm
S is a forensic psychiatrist who has been treating Mr. A, a 29-year-old man with schizophrenia, in an outpatient clinic for eight months.
529 words, about 3 min5Testamentary Capacity in a Client with Dementia and a Recent Will Change
H, 81, is a widow with moderate Alzheimer's disease (MMSE 18/30, diagnosed three years ago). Six weeks ago she executed a new will that disinherited her two adult children and left her entire estate (approximately $2.4 million) to a nephew who began living with her eight months ago and who manages her finances.
595 words, about 3 min