Parlour R R, Jones L R
J Forensic Sci. 1981 Jul;26(3):535-42.
Tomorrow's psychiatrist should be more cognizant, competent, and comfortable in forensic science matters. Psychiatric cases are increasingly the subjects of litigation, but justice in the court depends on able advocacy by all parties. Advocacy for patient-plaintiffs is more similar to customary clinical roles than is advocacy for defendant insurance companies, which nevertheless are as needful of competent psychiatric experts as patient-plaintiffs if justice is to be done. Ironically, defense psychiatrist can do much to help patient-plaintiffs if they understand their roles correctly. Since legal systems are designed to produce justice, not therapy, the forensic competence of future psychiatrists will help to make litigation more therapeutic and just for patients. This paper describes the peculiarities of psychiatric work in litigated workmen's compensation cases, focusing on the role of the defense psychiatrist. We will highlight the constructive and therapeutically gratifying potentials of this work. Greater familiarity with the process will help to enlist the interest and participation of psychiatrist in workmen's compensation cases for the ultimate benefit of the patients and improvement of the legal system.
未来的精神科医生应在法医学事务方面更具认知、更有能力且更为得心应手。精神科病例越来越多地成为诉讼的对象，但法庭上的公正取决于各方有力的辩护。为患者原告进行辩护与传统临床角色更为相似，而相比之下，为被告保险公司进行辩护则不然，不过，如果要实现公正，被告保险公司与患者原告一样需要称职的精神科专家。具有讽刺意味的是，如果辩护精神科医生正确理解自己的角色，他们可以为帮助患者原告做很多事情。由于法律制度旨在实现公正，而非治疗，未来精神科医生的法医能力将有助于使诉讼对患者更具治疗性和公正性。本文描述了在有诉讼的工伤赔偿案件中精神科工作的特殊性，重点关注辩护精神科医生的角色。我们将强调这项工作具有建设性和治疗上令人满足的潜力。对这一过程有更多了解将有助于吸引精神科医生对工伤赔偿案件的兴趣并参与其中，最终造福患者并改善法律制度。
