A comparative study of forensic and general community psychiatric patients with integrated and parallel models of care in the UK

This article compares the clinical characteristics, risk and need profiles of forensic and general adult patients in parallel and integrated models of care in the UK. Case notes were examined, and the Care Programme Approach care-coordinator interviewed to assess risk and need. Forensic patients had a higher risk of violence, accounted for by a higher score on historical risk, but were not different in current and future predicted risk. Forensic patients had a higher number of total and met needs, were not different in unmet needs. Compared to forensic patients managed in parallel teams, those managed in integrated teams had higher historical and total risk scores. Those managed by parallel teams had more total needs and met needs, but those managed by integrated teams had more unmet needs. The findings support previous research, which suggests a need to re-consider criteria for follow-up of patients by forensic teams based on risk and need.