ABSTRACT
Summary of key points
Mentally disordered offenders may be mental health service users who have committed criminal offences ranging from the petty to the serious, or career criminals who develop mental illness while on remand or following sentencing.
The profession of psychiatry, while having an important role to play in the care and treatment of mentally disordered offenders, should acknowledge the important input provided by other professions.
Community mental health nurses should recognise and support the role of informal carers and relatives as an important element within the social support networks of these service users.
