Managing madness, murderers and paedophiles: Understanding change in the field of English forensic psychiatry

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) 2016-09, Vol.164, p.12-18
• Main Authors: McDonald, Ruth, Furtado, Vivek, Vollm, Birgit
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bourdieu; Change; Emotion; Emotions; England; Focus Groups; Forensic psychiatry; Forensic Psychiatry - trends; Habitus; Homicide; Homicide - psychology; Humans; Medical personnel; Medicine; Mental Disorders - therapy; Mental health; Patients; Pedophilia - therapy; Perceptions; Professionals; Psychiatrists; Psychiatry - standards; Psychiatry - trends; Qualitative Research; Shock
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.07.011

This paper discusses changes occurring in the field of English forensic psychiatry which appear to be linked to feelings of discomfort amongst medical professionals who manage care in such settings. These changes are neither the result of a sudden ‘shock’ to the system, nor small improvisations at the margins, but instead appear to reflect a growing perception amongst psychiatrists of accepted field practice as inadequate for some types of patients. To understand how feelings and emotions are implicated in these changes we draw on and develop the work of Pierre Bourdieu to suggest that changes must be seen in the context of field tensions, which have implications for habitus. However, we do not view feelings of discomfort merely as a response to these tensions. Instead we suggest a more dynamic process. The habitus plays a key role in structuring what people pay attention to, how they perceive it and therefore, whether they experience particular feelings in the first place. •This study explores tensions in the field of forensic psychiatry.•Feelings of discomfort amongst doctors are linked to change.•Feelings are linked to field tensions, but this is a dynamic process.•Habitus is implicated in what people notice and how they respond.