10 years of forensic mental health care in Flanders
The train kept on rolling, though some carriages lag behind
In this article, we reflect upon the evolutions in forensic mental health care in Flanders during the
past decade. We focus on five target groups: Persons labelled as not criminally responsible, people in
detention, sexual offenders, substance users and patients who are involuntarily admitted to hospital.
Significant progress has been made regarding persons labelled as not criminally responsible. However,
the lack of a fully developed range of treatment services for offenders with mental health problems,
especially in prison, causes concern. Moreover, tensions arise between a(n international) trend towards
autonomy (patient rights and informed consent), strength-based approaches and recovery on the one
hand; and the continuing predominant focus on risk management and the avoidance of recidivism on
the other hand.