Cases in Clinical Forensic Psychology

This collection of case studies illustrates how the science of clinical forensic psychology informs all aspects of criminal cases and the criminal justice process in Canada.

Clinical forensic psychology is defined by the application of clinical psychology assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and consultation in legal contexts. The term captures the integration of clinical psychology as an applied professional discipline and forensic psychology as an experimental discipline.

Cases in Clinical Forensic Psychology offers a series of case studies that allow readers to take a close and personal look at the criminal justice system in Canada. Clinical forensic psychologist Margo C. Watt examines the particulars of each case, including the biological, psychological, social, cultural, and legal factors. The book takes an evidence-based approach and highlights how the science of clinical forensic psychology informs all aspects of criminal cases: police investigative techniques, eyewitness testimony, pretrial publicity, jury selection and decision-making, forensic evaluations, psychological autopsies, mental health in corrections, and more.

Examining incidents ranging from false confessions to wrongful convictions to deaths in custody and the ones who got away, Cases in Clinical Forensic Psychology questions how and why these events happened and considers what we can learn from them.

Author Biography

Margo C. Watt is a professor of psychology, practising clinical psychologist, and the coordinator of applied forensic psychology at St. Francis Xavier University.