Citation

Sreenivasan S, Kirkish P, Garrick T, Weinberger LE, Phenix A. J. Am. Acad. Psychiatry Law 2000; 28(4): 438-448.

Affiliation

Forensic Outreach Services, West Los Angeles Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, Publisher American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11196254

Abstract

Risk assessment in the area of identification of violence has been dichotomized by several prominent researchers as the "clinical approach" versus the "actuarial method". The proponents of the actuarial approach argue for actuarially derived decisions to replace existing clinical practice. The actuarial method requires no clinical input, just a translation of the relevant material from the records to calculate the risk score. A risk appraisal approach based upon a sole actuarial method raises several questions: those of public safety, peer-accepted standards of practice, liability issues, and concordance with evidence-based medicine practice. We conclude that the sole actuarial approach fails to satisfy these critical issues.

Language: en