Rowaert Sara, Vandevelde Stijn, Lemmens Gilbert, Audenaert Kurt
Department of Special Needs Education, H. Dunantlaan 2, Ghent University, Belgium.
Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, De Pintelaan 185, Ghent University, Belgium.
Int J Law Psychiatry. 2017 Sep-Oct;54:76-82. doi: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2017.05.003. Epub 2017 May 18.
Mentally ill offenders in Belgium can be subjected to mandated care under an "internment measure" if they are viewed as a danger to society. This study investigated how family members of mentally ill offenders experience this internment measure and view the (forensic) psychiatric treatment of their relative. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 relatives and analysed using Nvivo 11. Six different themes emerged: (1) the criminal offence and the internment measure as an additional stigma, (2) ambivalent feelings towards the judicial system, (3) prison is not the right place to be, (4) mental health support as an answer to problems, (5) fight a losing battle, and (6) while there is life there is hope. The experiences of family members indicate the need for improved treatment guidelines that allow earlier compulsory interventions to prevent crime and preferential admission to (forensic) psychiatric facilities rather than prisons. In addition, family members expressed the need for better communication from mental health professionals and the judicial system during the process and greater availability of peer support.
在比利时，如果患有精神疾病的罪犯被视为对社会有危险，他们可能会被依据“拘留措施”接受强制治疗。本研究调查了患有精神疾病的罪犯的家庭成员如何体验这种拘留措施，以及他们如何看待其亲属接受的（法医）精神治疗。对24名亲属进行了半结构化访谈，并使用Nvivo 11进行分析。出现了六个不同的主题：（1）刑事犯罪和拘留措施作为一种额外的耻辱，（2）对司法系统的矛盾情感，（3）监狱不是合适的地方，（4）心理健康支持是解决问题的答案，（5）打一场必输的仗，以及（6）只要有生命就有希望。家庭成员的经历表明，需要改进治疗指南，以便更早地进行强制干预以预防犯罪，并优先将其送入（法医）精神科设施而非监狱。此外，家庭成员表示，在这个过程中，心理健康专业人员和司法系统需要更好地沟通，并且需要更多的同伴支持。
