INTERFACES BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHIATRY IN THE ASSESSMENT OF CRIMINAL INSANITY IN ADULTS ACCUSED OF VIOLENT CRIMES: A SCOPING REVIEW

Nelson Pinto Gomes; Sadi Antonio Pezzi Junior; Elisabete Soares de Santana; Dalila Ribeiro Maia Gomes; Isabela de Oliveira; Carlos Lopatiuk; Fernando Henrique Gonzalez Filho; Guilherme Bacelar de Barros Martins; Isadora Martinez Vilela; Vitor Augusto Souto Fernandes dos Santos; Pedro Petiti Arbex Bueno; Marina Hamerski

doi:10.18623/rvd.v23.n4.5054

Authors

Nelson Pinto Gomes Université Catholique de Louvain https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2549-7402
Sadi Antonio Pezzi Junior Universidade Federal do Ceará https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6606-5112
Elisabete Soares de Santana Universidade Federal de Pernambuco https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5773-3879
Dalila Ribeiro Maia Gomes Universidade Estadual do Piauí https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6410-1646
Isabela de Oliveira Centro Universitário Barão de Mauá https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8324-9631
Carlos Lopatiuk Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5918-0657
Fernando Henrique Gonzalez Filho Universidade Iguaçu https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6505-8646
Guilherme Bacelar de Barros Martins Faculdade Israelita de Ciências da Saúde Albert Einstein https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9277-995X
Isadora Martinez Vilela Faculdade Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0970-4497
Vitor Augusto Souto Fernandes dos Santos Faculdade de Medicina do ABC https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7367-5968
Pedro Petiti Arbex Bueno Universidade de Ribeirão Preto https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9368-2150
Marina Hamerski Universidad María Auxiliadora https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6506-3119

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v23.n4.5054

Keywords:

Mental Health, Criminal Irresponsibility, Forensic Psychiatry, Violent Crime, Criminal Responsibility

Abstract

Objective: To map and analyze evidence on mental health and criminal irresponsibility among adults accused of violent crimes. Methods: Scoping review conducted between January and February 2026 in accordance with Joanna Briggs Institute and PRISMA-ScR guidance, with prior protocol registration in the Open Science Framework. Searches were performed in PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane Library, complemented by Google Scholar. Two independent reviewers conducted study selection, data extraction, and qualitative synthesis. Results and Discussion: Twelve studies were included. Evidence shows higher prevalence of mental disorders among legally involved individuals; however, this does not automatically establish criminal irresponsibility, which requires assessment of cognitive and volitional capacity at the time of the offense. Discrepancies between clinical and forensic diagnoses, cognitive biases, and methodological variability were identified. Emerging trends include structured assessment protocols, bias mitigation strategies, and exploratory use of artificial intelligence tools. Conclusion: A multifactorial, standardized, and legally grounded evaluative framework is essential to strengthen reliability and legitimacy in forensic psychiatric decision-making regarding criminal responsibility.

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INTERFACES BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHIATRY IN THE ASSESSMENT OF CRIMINAL INSANITY IN ADULTS ACCUSED OF VIOLENT CRIMES: A SCOPING REVIEW

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