Insanity Is Both a Psychological Diagnostic Category and a Legal

question 254

True/False

Insanity is both a psychological diagnostic category and a legal term that refers to a defendant's presumed state of mind at the time a crime was committed.

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Definitions:

Unfit To Stand Trial

A legal determination that a person is not able to participate in their defense due to a mental disorder or incapacity.

Mental Disorder

A condition characterized by significant disturbance in an individual's behavior, emotional regulation, or thought processes.

Unfit To Stand Trial

A legal determination that a person is unable to participate in the court proceedings because of mental incapacity or illness.

Assessment

A procedure in which information is gathered systematically in the evaluation of a condition; it serves as the preliminary to a diagnosis. A psychiatric assessment may include interviews with the patient or the patient’s family, medical testing, psychophysiological or psychological testing, and the completion of self-report scales or other report rating scales.