ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on presenting issues and possible solutions as they relate to forensic mental health. It defines and discusses the concepts of mental health and mental illness, including the fundamental facts about prevalence and representation in the justice system. The book aims to provide a basic understanding of justice-involved individuals with mental health issues and, at the same time, dispel some of the myths related to this population. Persons with mental illness who may or may not be justice-involved are referred to in a few different ways, depending on the context of the discussion; this may include persons with mental illness, persons with serious mental illness or with severe and persistent mental illness, consumers, and patients. Mental illness refers to a mental health-related diagnosis that is serious enough to affect an individual's overall well-being and daily life.
