Geriatric Forensic Psychiatry: Risk Assessment and Management

As the population of North America ages and the prevalence of systemic medical illnesses and certain psychiatric disorders increases, the number of older individuals presenting to the legal system having committed aggressive offenses is also likely to grow. Consequently, the demand for forensic psychiatric assessments of such individuals is only likely to increase. The present chapter will provide a brief overview of the types of geriatric forensic assessments which are commonly undertaken, with a focus on psychiatric risk assessment and management.