Challenges in interfacing between forensic and general mental health: a Japanese perspective

Abstract

This article highlights the characteristics of forensic mental health services in Japan, with special emphasis on outpatient treatment of offenders with mental disorders, and discusses the potential implications of the Japanese experience in view of Western trends. The literature suggests that forensic patients tend to be left behind by the overall psychiatric reforms in developed countries. The recent law reform on forensic mental health in Japan is intended to be compatible with the contemporary ideas of psychiatry, such as normalization and community-based care. The primary objective of the new legislation is to provide intensive psychiatric treatment to offenders with mental disorders, attaching great importance to their re-integration into society. However, the system has already been faced with major challenges, including the insufficiency of human and financial resources in community and the accumulation of long-stay, treatment-resistant patients in special facilities. This article stresses the importance of active participation of general mental health services in the rehabilitation of offenders with mental disorders.