Formulating a Research Question

Role of a Mental Health Professional

The role of research for a forensic mental health professional is extensive. At the very least, forensic mental health professionals are responsible for keeping up to date with current research in areas related to criminal behavior in the assessment and treatment of it. For example, it is important to stay informed when new measures are developed and whether they have adequate reliability and validity. It is also important to know the most effective types of therapies for the disorders that are common to the offender population.

Many forensic mental health professionals actively engage in research activities that are related to the underpinnings of criminal behavior. The primary areas of research in this field are the prevention and treatment of criminal behavior, such as exploring some of the factors among individuals that might be related to criminal behavior, such as childhood experiences or personality traits. More recently, research on this topic has focused on individual factors that are related to resilience and noncriminal behavior. In other words, rather than investigating what makes a criminal behave the way he or she does, research is more recently investigating what makes a noncriminal behave the way he or she does. Research is also needed to shape the way in which offenders are evaluated. For example, research can help identify whether a specific series of tests is better at detecting malingering (feigning symptoms for personal gain) among offenders than just one test.

Unequivocally, the most prominent research area in forensic mental health is the issue of recidivism (repeat criminal behavior)—specifically what will reduce it. Because there is no known "cure" for criminal behavior, methods of optimal treatment for offenders are continually being researched and hence continue to be improved upon. Using the best therapeutic intervention that has been shown by research to be the most effective for treating a particular disorder is known as evidence-based practice. The forensic mental health professional should attempt to use evidence-based treatment whenever possible.