Re. Redding, DEPRESSION IN JAILED WOMEN DEFENDANTS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR ADJUDICATIVE COMPETENCE, Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 25(1), 1997, pp. 105-119
This study examines the relationship between depression, as measured b
y four indices, and jailed women defendants' adjudicative competence (
''competence to stand trial''). Competence was assessed by the MacArth
ur Competence Assessment Tool-Criminal Adjudication (MacCAT-CA) in thr
ee areas: understanding, reasoning, and appreciation. Depression was n
ot significantly correlated with any competence measure. More depresse
d women, however, were more likely to feel that they would not be trea
ted fairly by the legal system. This finding is consistent with resear
ch showing that depressed people tend to have pessimistic perceptions.
The rates of depression were far above the rates in the general femal
e population, and many of the participants were clinically depressed.
In addition, competence generally was negatively correlated with measu
res of psychoticism, emotional withdrawal, and general psychopathology
. Implications of the results for addressing the mental health needs o
f women defendants, and for defense attorneys and forensic clinicians
working with them, are discussed.