Correctional psychiatrists inevitably treat patients who have been convicted of a broad array of crimes. There is a correlation between the security level of the institutions in which one works and the severity of the crimes of the inmates being housed there.
Since I’ve treated inmates of minimum, medium, and maximum custody levels, I’ve had the opportunity to work with people who have been convicted of everything from drug possession to multiple murders.
What’s it like treating patients who have killed other human beings?
Continue reading »
TweetI’ve been following this tragic event both in the popular news media and in the blogs of fellow physicians. I have never examined the alleged killer and do not want to speculate about why he might have decided to what he is said to have done.
Having said that, though, I am finding some of the speculation to be rather bizarre. I was particularly surprised by a post by Kevin Pho (KevinMD.com): “Did Nidal Malik Hasan suffer from compassion fatigue or secondary traumatization?”
I’ve never heard of a mental health professional developing PTSD and killing people as a result of working with trauma victims.
I’m sure we’ll learn more about this case as the story unfolds. In the meantime, the speculation will continue…
Recent Comments