Mental Health and Justice: New Advances in Forensic Psychiatry

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuropsychiatry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 14 July 2026 | Viewed by 21

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Interests: legal medicine; forensic medicine; forensic psychiatry; bioethics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to explore contemporary developments in forensic psychiatry, a dynamic field at the intersection of psychiatry, law, and ethics. We welcome original research articles, reviews, brief communications, and case reports that address the multifaceted nature of forensic psychiatric practice and theory. Contributions may span a broad range of topics, including but not limited to psychiatric evaluations in legal contexts, the assessment and management of criminal responsibility, risk assessment for violence or recidivism, and psychiatric care in custodial and correctional settings.

We particularly encourage submissions that engage with emerging challenges in forensic psychiatry, such as ethical dilemmas, the interface with medical jurisprudence, and the psychiatric implications of detention, coercion, and institutionalization. Submissions addressing bioethical issues, legal standards for mental illness, and the evolving role of forensic psychiatrists in multidisciplinary clinical environments are also of interest.

By bringing together diverse perspectives and empirical findings, this Special Issue seeks to foster a comprehensive understanding of current trends, challenges, and innovations in forensic psychiatry.

Dr. Andrea Cioffi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • forensic psychiatry
  • legal medicine
  • ethics and mental health
  • psychiatry in correctional settings
  • criminal responsibility
  • expert witness
  • risk assessment
  • violent behavior
  • psychiatrist’s professional liability

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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