An Assessment of the Quality of Competence Restoration Research

Authors

Philip J. Candilis, Dr. Candilis is Medical Director of Saint Elizabeths Hospital, Washington, D.C., and a Professor of Psychiatry, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC. Dr. Parker is Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, and Adjunct Professor of Law, Indiana University McKinney School of Law, Indianapolis, IN. philip.candilis@dc.gov.
George F. Parker, Dr. Candilis is Medical Director of Saint Elizabeths Hospital, Washington, D.C., and a Professor of Psychiatry, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC. Dr. Parker is Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, and Adjunct Professor of Law, Indiana University McKinney School of Law, Indianapolis, IN.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

6-4-2024

Journal

The journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law

Volume

52

Issue

2

DOI

10.29158/JAAPL.240008-24

Keywords

adjudicative competence; competence restoration; research quality; systematic review

Abstract

A systematic review of the literature on restoration of competence to stand trial identified a predominance of retrospective case studies using descriptive and correlational statistics. Guided by National Institutes of Health (NIH) quality metrics and emphasizing study design, sample size, and statistical methods, the authors categorized a large majority of studies as fair in quality, underscoring the need for controlled designs, larger representative samples, and more sophisticated statistical analyses. Implications for the state of forensic research include the need to use large databases within jurisdictions and the importance of reliable methods that can be applied across jurisdictions and aggregated for meta-analysis. More sophisticated research methods can be advanced in forensic fellowship training where coordinated projects and curricula can encourage systematic approaches to forensic research.

APA Citation

Candilis, Philip J. and Parker, George F., "An Assessment of the Quality of Competence Restoration Research" (2024). GW Authored Works. Paper 5151.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/5151

Department

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences