[Symposium 10] Ethics in Society and Forensic Psychiatry

[SY-10] Ethics in Society and Forensic Psychiatry

Mary Busuego¹, Koji Takeda², Susanna Every-Palmer4³, Yusuke Okumura⁴ (1.St. Luke's Medical Center(Philippines), 2.National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry(Japan), 3.University of Otago(New Zealand), 4.Medical Correction Center in East Japan(Japan))

Ethics can be a key concept for significant social issues. Also, for forensic psychiatry, how good treatment can be provided while serving as the justice system agent is a state-of-arts discussion. In this symposium, Mary Busuego explores the intersection of marriage, divorce, and psychiatry in the Philippines, highlighting complex legal, cultural, and psychological dimensions. Public sentiment is shifting despite the absence of a legal divorce option for most Filipinos. However, significant challenges remain. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing the mental health implications of marital dissolution and advocates for legal reforms that prioritize individual well-being and healthier family structures. Koji Takeda presents specialized forensic mental health services under the Medical Treatment and Supervision Act (MTSA), which persons with mental illness who have committed serious violence are subject to in Japan. The MTSA strongly restricts human rights. Therefore, ethical considerations are indispensable, such as the need for approval by an ethics committee regarding physical restriction and forced treatment. He reports on the current status, issues, and prospects of human rights and ethics in forensic psychiatry based on the MTSA. Susanna Every-Palmer presents trauma in forensic settings and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychosis receiving inpatient and prison-based forensic care. She conducted a randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness and safety of EMDR treatment. EMDR seems to be an effective, safe, and acceptable treatment. Yusuke Okumura reports the current situation and issues of correctional psychiatry in Japan. Criminal Law, Act on Mental Health and Welfare for the Mentally Disabled, and Medical Treatment and Supervision Act are applied to mentally disordered offenders. Correctional facilities are divided into general facilities, key medical facilities, and medical prisons. At the time of release from medical prison, quite a few obstacles might hinder seamless treatment and rehabilitation.