ABSTRACT
Forensic psychiatrists frequently are asked to make assessments of competence for legal or administrative purposes. Competence is a context-dependent term with criteria specific to the function being evaluated. It is possible to be competent for one purpose yet incompetent for another. Competence also can change as a person’s underlying condition changes, or circumstances occur that challenge a person’s capabilities. The type of functioning necessary for a specific purpose generally involves intellectual and emotional capabilities that a forensic psychiatrist may be most qualified to assess, although for competence assessments unlikely to reach formal litigation, a general psychiatrist ordinarily may be appropriate for the task such as offering a professional opinion about the competency to provide for basic needs (grave disability).
