Leveraging and Balancing Skills in a Big Data Era

James L. Knoll IV, MD;

Key Takeaways

Forensic psychiatry faces challenges from the rapid expansion of big data, requiring adaptation through teamwork and technology.
Narrowing focus is necessary for individual forensic psychiatrists, but must be balanced to prevent fragmentation of mental health services.
The field continues to evolve, balancing roles in court assistance, psychiatric care in carceral settings, and research for future advancements.

Learn more about topics of interest in forensic psychiatry in this month's Special Report!

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SPECIAL REPORT: FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY

A challenge facing all of medicine is the big data explosion. Information now flows too fast and is too vast for individual psychiatrists to keep pace. In search of solutions and adaptation, I have suggested leveraging the skills of teamwork

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and technology.¹ Regardless, the rate of change in psychiatric knowledge must invariably lead to some narrowing of focus by individual forensic psychiatrists and researchers. Yet a narrowed focus should be balanced by avoiding mental health system fragmentation and isolation of services.² The field of forensic psychiatry continues to evolve and progress, balancing many roles such as providing reliable, objective assistance to the courts, providing quality psychiatric care to those in carceral settings, and conducting research that will pave the way for progress.

Dr Knoll is a professor of psychiatry and director of forensic psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. He is also emeritus editor in chief of Psychiatric Times and clinical director of Central New York Psychiatric Center in Marcy.

References

1. Knoll JL. Balance and change in forensic psychiatry. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 2024;52(1):6-14.

2. Tully J, Hafferty J, Whiting D, et al. Forensic mental health: envisioning a more empirical future. Lancet Psychiatry. 2024;11(11):934-942.