In a “Head to Head” debate for the British Medical Journal on whether risk assessment in psychiatry “serves the interests of patients or the public”, the respondent for “no” asserts “Risk assessment was not introduced into mental healthcare because of scientific progress but because of complex social and political factors, including media pressure after a small number of catastrophic events… Risk assessment does not work because it lacks the statistical power to discriminate between those who will and those who will not commit particular harms, such as suicide and severe violence…”
Large, M. Does the emphasis on risk in psychiatry serve the interests of patients or the public? No. British Medical Journal 2013; 346:f857 (Published 12 February 2013