ABSTRACT
As we mentioned at the outset, this book is intended for the newcomer to the topic of forensic mental health, and our aim was to give this newcomer a clear and succinct overview of the contexts in which forensic mental health professionals work and the kinds of services and treatments that they provide. We hope we have achieved this aim. Shortly before we finished writing this book, Willan published a comprehensive Handbook of Forensic Mental Health, edited by Keith Soothill, Paul Rogers and Mairead Dolan (2008). Contributors to the Handbook are eminent academics, researchers and practitioners who have written in depth about topics on which they are expert. Our introductory text may be a primer, and those who wish to access more detailed information on the topics covered here may graduate on to reading the Handbook.
