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. 2022 Jun 6;30(4):536-552.
doi: 10.1080/13218719.2022.2059029. eCollection 2023.

Eliciting an offence narrative: what types of questions do forensic mental health practitioners ask?

Chelsea L Leach  1 , Francesca Brown  1 , Luke Pryor  1 , Martine Powell  2 , Scott Harden  1
Affiliations

Eliciting an offence narrative: what types of questions do forensic mental health practitioners ask?

Chelsea L Leach et al. Psychiatr Psychol Law. .

Abstract

Maximising the accuracy and detail of information elicited through a clinical-forensic interview may increase the reliability and validity of an individual's assessment. Despite this, there is little empirical research on what questions forensic mental health practitioners employ, and whether these correspond with empirically established interviewing strategies. In this study, 22 forensic mental health practitioners participated in a mock interview of a young person referred for a sexual risk assessment. The results highlighted that participants asked very few 'open' questions, over-relied on 'specific' questions and an average of 13% of questions were leading. Finally, practitioners predominantly used 'yes/no' questions when exploring the young person's thoughts, feelings, and physiological responses. Overall, the study demonstrated that empirically supported interviewing techniques were not commonly employed and highlighted the need for further professional development and training around clinical forensic interviewing strategies that best elicit the information needed to inform risk assessment.

Keywords: clinical forensic interviewing; forensic mental health; investigative interview; risk assessment; young offenders.

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Conflict of interest statement

Chelsea Leach has declared no conflicts of interest. Francesca Brown has declared no conflicts of interest. Luke Pryor has declared no conflicts of interest. Martine Powell has declared no conflicts of interest and would like to note she is the Director of a Centre that is a research and training hub in investigative interviewing. Scott Harden has declared no conflicts of interest.

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