The Handbook of Forensic Mental Health in Africa

The Handbook of Forensic Mental Health in Africa traces the history of forensic mental health in Africa, discussing the importance of considering cultural differences when implementing Western-validated practices on the continent while establishing state-of-the-art assessment and treatment of justice-involved persons.

Experts in the field of forensic mental health throughout Africa explore the current state of forensic mental health policy and service provision, as well as the unique ethical challenges which have arisen with the recent growth of interest in the field. The African and international research literature on violence risk assessment, competency to stand trial, malingering assessment, Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI) evaluations, report writing as an expert witness and mental health legislation in the context of forensic practice are explored throughout. Finally, future directions for forensic mental health in Africa are discussed for juvenile, female and elderly offenders.

This text is ideal for mental health, criminal justice and legal professionals working in clinical, research and policy contexts.

Adegboyega Ogunwale, LLM, FWACP, is a chief consultant psychiatrist at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Nigeria. His research has focused on general adult psychiatry, abnormal homicide, mental health services in prison and mental health legislation. He was awarded the Rafaelsen Young Investigator’s Award of the International College of Neuropsychopharmacology in 2011 and the UK Chevening Scholarship in 2017.

Adegboyega Ogunlesi, MBBS, FWACP, FRCPsych, is a retired provost and chief medical director at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Nigeria. He has published 39 scientific articles and book chapters, and he is a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK), the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the West African College of Physicians.

Stephane M. Shepherd, PhD, is an associate professor of forensic psychology at the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, Australia. His research explores cross-cultural issues at the intersection of the criminal justice system and psychology. He has received numerous regional and international awards including a Fulbright Scholarship, the 2019 American Psychology-Law Saleem Shah Early Career Award and the 2016 IAFMHS Christopher Webster Young Scholar of the Year, and was recently named as an Australian ABC 2020 top 5 researcher under 40.

Katrina I. Serpa, MSc, is the training consultant for Multi-Health Systems Inc.’s Public Safety Division and the program director for the Global Institute of Forensic Research, Canada. She specializes in providing cutting-edge curriculum development and training solutions to mental health, correctional, and legal professionals working in both general care and forensic settings around the world. She completed her graduate studies in forensic psychology at Maastricht University, Netherlands.

Jay P. Singh, PhD, is a Fulbright scholar, clinical associate in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, and visiting scholar in the Institute of Criminology at the University of Cambridge, UK. He completed his graduate doctoral studies in psychiatry at the University of Oxford, UK, and clinical psychology at Universität Konstanz, Germany.