fpamed News

Castro’s statement: Classic signs of a narcissistic sociopath, experts say

Forensic Psychiatrist Mark Levy MD was interviewed by NBC news concerning serial kidnapper and sexual predator, Ariel Castro’s, rambling statement in Court on August 5, 2013. By Jeff Black, Staff Writer, NBC News August 5, 2013, 11:22 am NBCNews.com Ariel Castro’s rambling 20-minute statement in court Thursday, in which he repeatedly said, “I am not […]

Asiana Airline Crash at SFO & Recovery of Emotional Damages Under Montreal Convention

The Montreal Convention, the successor international treaty to the Warsaw Convention, governs damages claims from injury on international carrier flights. Passengers who suffer severe emotional distress from an aircraft disaster cannot claim damages consisting of emotional injury alone – the psychological injury must “flow through” a physical injury. Ironically, relatives or the estate of a […]

American Psychiatric Association Amicus Briefs

Amicus Briefs Amicus curiae (friend of the court) briefs are approved by the Board of Trustees and present to the court the views of the American Psychiatric Association on matters of mental health, patient care, psychiatric practice, and other forensic issues. Older briefs are being added as library staff time permits. 2012   Delling v. […]

Doyle v. Caldwell (California Sixth Appellate Court)

Doyle v Caldwell Balancing the discovery rights of the Defendant against the privacy rights of the Plaintiff, California’s Sixth Appellate Court ruled, in an employment law suit, that the Defendant, Caldwell, could not compel the Plaintiff, Cindy Doyle, to undergo a forensic psychiatric independent medical examination (even thought she put her mental status at issue) […]

CHOOSING A FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIC EXPERT: The Difference between Treating Clinicians and Forensic Psychiatric Experts

San Francisco Attorney Magazine, summer 2012. In this article Dr. Levy compares and contrasts the different Missions, Methods and Ethical Duties of Forensic Psychiatric (and Psychological) Experts with Treating Clinicians.

California Society of Addiction 2011 State of the Art Conference

State of the Art Course To Meet October 12th -15th, Hyatt Regency Long Beach, Long Beach, California This is a link to the California Society of Addiction Medicine 2011 State of the Art Conference. fpamed forensic psychiatrist and addiction specialist, David Y. Kan, MD, is the conference chair. http://www.associationinternet.com/csam/csam.html The Conference will be featuring some of the heaviest hitters […]

Assessing Emotional Damages in Multi-Plaintiff Litigation

Assessing Emotional Damages

Piano Dealer Gets 28 Months for Cheating Clients

David Kan, M.D. was the forensic psychiatrist who testified for the San Francisco District Attorney in this trial. He testified against the defense who was raising certain psychiatric issues on behalf of his client. The DA got a conviction. Thursday, November 18, 2010 (11-18) 09:03 PST SAN FRANCISCO — A vintage-piano consignment dealer in San […]

Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology – What We Do

Our primary skill is explaining complex medical and behavioral information in a readily understood and accurate manner. In the legal arena, as in our clinical practices, teaching, and scholarship, clear communication is our central goal. We reach our opinions and offer testimony based on evidence, not simply our authority. Integrating the data from medical records, […]

San Francisco Bakery Stabber Withdraws His Insanity Plea

In the recent trial of Scott Thomas, the S.F. Bakery Stabber, fpamed forensic psychiatrist, David Kan, MD, testified for 4 ½ days as a psychiatric expert for the prosecutor, Scot Clark, of the Office of the San Francisco District Attorney . Today, Scott Thomas withdrew his insanity plea. Read the full story on SFGate.com »

9th Circuit Rules That “Zone of Danger” Sufficient to Justify PTSD Claims

The 9th circuit federal appeals court majority said Tuesday that a previous ruling, and an earlier Supreme Court decision, allow an emotonal damages suit alleging Posttraumatic Stress Disorder by a seaman who was in a negligently operated vessel’s “zone of danger.”

PowerPoint Slides from Lecture for Attorneys on Working with Traumatized Clients – by Susan M. Meffert, MD, MPH

A slide show accompanying a lecture for Attorneys by Dr. Meffert discussing the issue of working with traumatized clients.

A Prospective Study of Trait Anger and PTSD Symptoms in Police by Susan M. Meffert, MD, MPH et al

It is unknown whether anger is a risk factor for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, arises as a consequence of PTSD, or both. Two hypotheses were tested in 180 police recruits: Greater trait anger during training will predict greater PTSD symptoms at one year; greater PTSD symptoms at one year will predict greater state anger at one year. Both hypotheses were confirmed, suggesting that trait anger is a risk factor for PTSD symptoms, but that PTSD symptoms are also associated with an increase of state anger. Increased anger is important not only because of the impact it has on individual distress and physical health, but also because of its potential public health impact.

Expansion of Liberty Interests Under Parole Conditions: Beyond Anti-psychotics by Susan M. Meffert, MD, MPH, John Chamberlain, MD

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decided the case of United States v. Cope, 506
F.3d 908 (9th Cir. 2007), on November 5, 2007. At issue were the imposition of a lifetime of supervised
release and the special conditions of release.. Dr. Meffert discusses this case and the underlying issues.

Darfur Refugees in Cairo: Mental Health and Interpersonal Conflict in the Aftermath of Genocide – Susan Meffert MD, MPH, Charles Marmar, MD

Hundreds of thousands of Darfur people affected by the Sudanese genocide have fled to Cairo, Egypt, in search of assistance. Collaborating with Africa and Middle East Refugee Assistance (AMERA), the authors conducted a mental health care needs assessment among Darfur refugees in Cairo. Information was collected using individual and focus group interviews to identify gaps in mental health care and develop understandings of emotional and relationship problems. The refugee mental health care system has a piecemeal structure with gaps in outpatient services. There is moderate to severe emotional distress among many Darfur refugees, including symptoms of depression and trauma, and interpersonal conflict, both domestic violence and broader community conflict, elevated relative to pregenocide levels. Given the established relationships between symptoms of depression/traumatic stress and interpersonal violence, improving mental health is important for both preventing mental health decompensation and stemming future cycles of intra- and intergroup conflict.

Edna Foa, PhD – Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Edna Foa, PhD, the creator of Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is interviewed by Time Magazine.

Suicide Considered An “Elusive” Enemy For US Military

Suicide Considered An "Elusive" Enemy For US Military. ABC World News (4/29, story 9, 3:40, Sawyer) reported, "In the battle against suicide in its ranks," the US Army is "fighting an elusive, often silent, enemy. Last year, 160 active-duty soldiers committed suicide despite an unprecedented effort to address the problem." This enemy took the life […]

Studies Mixed On Effects of Violent Video Games On Children

Studies Mixed On Effects Of Violent Video Games On Children. The Los Angeles Times (5/3, Adams) reports, “A number of studies have shown that watching a lot of violence on television or playing violent video games…produces aggressive tendencies in kids.” However, “other researchers pooh-pooh such assertions and say that scientific findings have been decidedly mixed […]

Expert Witness Disclosure – Proposed Changes to Federal Rule 26

There are proposed significant changes to the disclosure requirement features of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 26. These changes will extend work product immunity.Congress makes changes to the widely endorsed Aproposal awaiting Supreme Court approval on May 1, 2010, as of December 1, 2010 Experts will no longer be required to disclose draft versions of their FRCP 26(a)(2) Reports. Furthermore they will no longer be required to disclose communication including electronic communication between the expert and the retaining attorney

Informed Consent Revisited

The medical malpractice insurer has recently issued an “Alert” revisiting the concept of “informed consent” as it is currently viewed by the courts. Download MIEC’s Alert #17 Informed Consent Revisited here: Download Informed Consent – MIEC Alert #17

Scientists Read Brain’s Magnetic Fields to Spot PTSD

Scientists Read Brain’s Magnetic Fields to Spot PTSD
Test identified those with the disorder 90% of the time

Genetic Variants in Depressed People Raise Suicide Risk

Researchers have identified five gene variants that raise the risk for suicide attempts in people suffering from depression

Meth psychosis presents medical, legal challenges.(FORENSIC MEDICINE)

David Kan, MD, an fpamed forensic psychiatric expert in the diagnosis and treatment of substance abuse, is quoted in the following article on methamphetamine psychosis:  Meth psychosis presents medical, legal challenges.(FORENSIC MEDICINE) By Susan London | March, 2009 Clinical Psychiatry News SEATTLE — Methamphetamine-induced psychosis is a challenging condition from both a medical and legal perspective, according to […]

Mark Levy MD Presentations in China: What is Psychoanalysis? What is Transference?

The following is a slide show of a presentation entitled "What Is Psychoanalysis? What is Transference?"  given by Mark Levy, MD in Xi'An and Wuhan China during October 2009:Download The Analysis of Transference

PTSD In US Servicemen In Iraq – Interview with Dr. Levy – AP 5/12/09

AP 5/12/09: Father of US Army Sgt John M. Russell says his son was treated poorly in a a military stress treatment center in Baghdad before he killed 5 of his fellow soldiers on 5/11/09. Mark Levy, MD was interviewed about the nature of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and the role it may have played in […]