Assessment and conceptualization of competency to stand trial: Preliminary data on the Interdisciplinary Fitness Interview.

Abstract

Based on an examination of current methods used to define and assess a defendant's competency to stand trial, the authors propose an assessment and research instrument, referred to as the Interdisciplinary Fitness Interview (IFI). The IFI is a structured interview and rating scale designed to take into account both legal and mental health issues, and calls for an interdisciplinary approach to the assessment of competency. The purpose of the present study was to provide preliminary reliability and validity data on the use of the IFI in one jurisdiction. The results are discussed in terms of policy implications and the development of methods for evaluating competency with brief screening interviews in less restrictive settings.

Amnesia and competency to stand trial: A review of legal and clinical issues

“…The courts have typically called upon mental health professionals to assess competency and provide a report to the court. While the court is not bound by the conclusions or recommendations of evaluators (typically local mental health professionals), in practice there is little disagreement (Golding, Roesch, & Schreiber, 1984;North Dakota v. Heger, 1982;Steadman, 1979;Williams & Miller, 1981). Thus, how clinicians define competency is of central concern.…”

“…As we have pointed out elsewhere (Roesch & Golding, in press) the measurement of "sufficient present ability" or "a rational as well as factual understanding" is not a straightforward matter. The lack of an agreed upon basis for a finding of incompetency has led some evaluators to incorrectly equate the presence of psychosis with incompetency (Cooke, 1969;McGarry, 1965;Roesch & Golding, 1980) and has led to other concerns about the validity of decisions about competency (Golding, Roesch, & Schreiber, 1984).…”

Defendant’s or convict’s competency to stand trial – forensic psychiatric evaluation

“…Zagadnienia psychopatologiczne to zaburzenia procesów myślenia i komunikacji, sądy urojeniowe, doznania omamowe, destrukcyjne zachowania, zaburzenia afektywne, zaburzenia świadomości i orientacji, zaburzenia pamięci, ogólne pogorszenie zdolności do formułowania sądów. Na ogólną ocenę składa się całościowa ocena sprawności psychicznej oskarżone-go, opis stopnia pewności biegłego co do diagnozy, opis podstaw dokonanej diagnozy [13,30].…”

“…Psychopathological issues include disorders of thinking and communication, delusional judgments, delusional experiences, destructive behavior, affective disorders, disorders of consciousness and orientation, memory disturbances, a general deterioration of the ability to formulate judgments. The final evaluation consists of the overall assessment of the defendant's mental capacity, a description of the degree to which the expert is sure of a diagnosis, a description of the basis for the diagnosis [13,30].…”

A Confusion of Tongues: Competence, Insanity, Psychiatry, and the Law

“…They include structured forms and interviews to be filled out by the defendant or used by the examiner in a systematic inquiry (7,8,(15)(16)(17).…”