David S DeMatteo

This edited book describes a number of projects and psychological services delivered in the community with justice-involved individuals and to forensic systems. Nearly all of these projects and services are outside the traditional scope of forensic psychology and correctional psychology. They offer a vision for the future of these areas as well as broadening awareness of what these services and projects are actually providing. Four domains are described: assessment, intervention, consultation, and education. Within those domains, the chapters cover university-based forensic assessment; intersectional identity in forensic assessment; trauma-informed assessment; school threat assessment; specialized measure development; Cognitive Therapy—Rehabilitation (CT-R), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and trauma treatment with justice-involved individuals; developing a specialized program for intervention; forensic and law enforcement consultation; cross-systems mapping; treatment court development; innovative approaches to juvenile probation and parole; specialized doctoral, internship, and postdoctoral training; policy research and education; trauma-informed training of correctional officers; expert witness training; and developing and operating a company focused on risk appraisal of violence and other adverse outcomes in organizational contexts. Contributors are leaders in the field, providing detailed information about the development and delivery of their innovations and providing a model for students, trainees, practitioners, clinical administrators, and others interested in work in this area.

This study investigated the use of psychopathy assessments in Canadian courts between 1980 and 2023. We reviewed 3,315 court cases and found that psychopathy assessments were used in two distinct ways: either as a clinical measure of psychopathy or exclusively for risk assessment purposes. Psychopathy assessments are most commonly introduced in court by prosecutors, with the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) being the most frequently used tool. The use of psychopathy assessments increased by 858% from the year 2000 to its peak in 2013, followed by a 10-year gradual (63%) decline. There was evidence of adversarial allegiance where prosecution-retained experts gave defendants higher PCL-R scores (d = 1.08) compared to defense-retained experts. PCL-R assessments showed poor reliability when comparing paired scores between prosecution and defense experts, suggesting a high risk of Type 1 and Type 2 errors. Intraclass correlation coefficient between prosecution- and defense-retained experts was .079 (95% confidence interval [CI] [-0.12, 0.34]), where 40% of experts had a >= 5.9 points scoring difference. A qualitative analysis of 183 expert testimonies on the perceived forensic risk and treatment prospects associated with psychopathy showed significant variability in expert testimonies. Most experts linked psychopathy to a high risk of recidivism (72.36%) and described it as a categorically untreatable condition (50.63%), where many experts also stated that treatment makes psychopathic persons worse (15.82%). These findings suggest that some expert testimonies on psychopathy are not aligned with the empirical research. We discuss the potential implications for legal practitioners and comment on the future role of psychopathy assessments in Canadian courts.

As the official journal of the American Psychology-Law Society (Division 41 of the American Psychological Association), Law and Human Behavior occupies a prominent position in the psychology-law field. It is a privilege to introduce this special section celebrating the journal's 50th anniversary. A review of the types of articles published in Law and Human Behavior over the past 5 decades reveals that the journal has continued to evolve to reflect the most important developments in the field in an effort to serve as a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, legal professionals, and policymakers. The evolution of Law and Human Behavior is likely attributable, at least in part, to recent advances in forensic research and clinical-forensic practice, the increasingly complex legal landscape relevant to the psychology-law field, and growing recognition of the value of high-quality empirical research.

In this issue, Sheerin et al. (see record 2026-26025-001) report on the state of the research on behavioral health-focused psychosocial interventions for youth in the juvenile legal system. They conducted a methodologically rigorous systematic review, with adherence to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 1990 and 2024. Results of their systematic review revealed 51 studies from 38 unique RCTs; family-focused interventions were the most frequently tested, and the most commonly studied outcomes were delinquency and conduct problems, followed by alcohol use and substance use. Given the small number of identified RCTs, Sheerin et al. (2025) concluded that the field needs more RCTs that focus on the behavioral health of youth in the juvenile legal system. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)

Mental health professionals who conduct forensic assessments are often exposed to stressors during evaluations of justice-involved individuals (e.g., graphic descriptions of violence, crime scene photos), yet little research has examined vicarious trauma among forensic mental health evaluators. Vicarious trauma refers to the emotional and psychological impact experienced by individuals who are indirectly exposed to traumatic events. This study used a self-report survey to examine how various protective and risk factors impact the prevalence of vicarious trauma among forensic psychologists (N = 82). Results revealed that perceived social support, trait empathy, the total number of evaluations conducted, and substance use as a coping skill were not significantly related to forensic psychologists' experience of vicarious trauma. Although results were not statistically significant, this study's methodology contributes to the existing literature by exploring how vicarious trauma may manifest differently in forensic psychologists when compared to other "helping professions," and it provides suggestions for future research to more accurately capture the construct of vicarious trauma. Future research should seek to improve existing operationalizations of vicarious trauma and explore it'sprevalence among other types of forensic mental health evaluators.

With roots dating to the beginning of the 20th century, forensic psychology has developed into a thriving specialty, as demonstrated by the establishment of a variety of professional organizations concerned with research and practice in the area, the large number of journals devoted to forensic research and practice, the proliferation of tests that have been developed to facilitate forensic psychological assessments, and the various guidelines that have been published to guide practice. Nonetheless, forensic psychology practice is facing a number of challenges at the current time that we address below, including problems with the current American Psychological Association ethics code, tensions between ethical and legal obligations to ensure test security and the law’s demands for transparency and access to evidence, and the specialty area’s failure to develop guidelines for specific areas of practice.

Based on a review of 16 recently submitted amicus curiae briefs by the American Psychological Association (APA) to the Supreme Court of the United States and other important courts, Marcus et al. (2025) strongly suggest that these briefs contain a significant number of inaccurate citations. They argue that these miscitations (a) misinform the court about important psychological findings, (b) could lead to significant injustice and harm, and (c) jeopardize the reputation of the APA vis-à-vis the courts and public. In this commentary, while acknowledging that inaccurate citations should be corrected, we take issue with (a) the manner in which Marcus et al. coded APA's amicus curiae briefs, (b) the significance of the problems created by these miscitations, and (c) the authors' misunderstanding of courts' review and use of amicus curiae briefs in judicial decision making. In the end, while agreeing there might be a need for additional review to prevent inaccurate citation in amicus curiae briefs, we argue that most of the inaccurate citations are likely harmless errors with little effect on APA's reputation or court decisions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

: Disordered eating and problematic drinking frequently co-occur among college students, yet treatment engagement remains low. This study examined treatment engagement and predictors to inform outreach strategies.
: Participants were college students aged 18-25 (
 = 11,439) from the 2022 and 2023 Healthy Minds Study cohorts.
Treatment engagement was compared for students screening positive for disordered eating, problematic drinking, both, or neither. Predictors of treatment engagement were examined in the comorbid group.
Most students (57.4%) screened negative; 25.7% screened positive for disordered eating, 9.4% for problematic drinking, and 7.5% for both concerns. Compared to other groups, the co-occurring group reported greater depression, anxiety, and cannabis use. Treatment engagement did not vary by group. Among comorbid students, key predictors of treatment engagement included knowledge of resources and perceived need.
Findings underscore treatment engagement gaps and the importance of campus screening and targeted outreach for students with co-occurring concerns.

Career Paths in Forensic Psychology offers a comprehensive introduction and guide to the varied career paths for aspiring forensic psychologists, showing what a rewarding career at the intersection of law and psychology can look like in practice.
The book is divided into five parts. Part I provides an overview of the field of forensic psychology and also briefly explores its origins and evolution in the United States. Additionally, it explores common professional activities of forensic psychologists, as well as common career settings in which they ply their trade (academic settings, clinical settings, policy settings). Part II examines employment in academic settings, chiefly research academia, practice-oriented academia, and teaching-focused academia. Part III discusses opportunities for clinical-forensic psychology practice, in both the public sector and in private practice settings. Part IV considers career opportunities for policy-interested forensic psychologists, including in government agencies and policy-focused non-profit organizations. Finally, Part V gives readers tips on how to pick the best career "home base" for themselves, considers supplemental opportunities that forensic psychologists can pursue if their "home base" does not scratch all their professional itches, and provides guidance on how to put one's best foot forward as a forensic psychologist and be a worthy representative of the field.
This book is an ideal resource for students of forensic psychology and early-career forensic psychologists looking to start and progress their career in academic, clinical, and policy settings, as well as practicing psychologists looking to navigate career changes and transitions.

Forensic mental health professionals may become involved in the discovery process through their role as an expert witness or consultant. Common discovery mechanisms that forensic mental health professionals should be prepared for include document production, subpoenas, interrogatories, and depositions. This chapter discusses federal discovery laws and best practices for forensic mental health professionals who are preparing for a deposition or responding to a subpoena. This chapter also reviews common mistakes that forensic mental health professionals make and provides concrete proactive steps that can be taken to avoid them. Common ethical issues that arise during the discovery process, including confidentiality and disclosure of testing materials, are also reviewed.