Bahawalpur, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) has teamed up with Queen’s University Ontario, Canada to launch the 2nd Forensic Mental Health Certification Course for 2023. This course, conducted online, offers a series of weekly modules that aim to provide comprehensive training at the crossroads of psychology and the legal system.

According to Islamia University of Bahawalpur, in a recent module, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Saleem, Chairman of the Department of Applied Psychology at IUB, gave a lecture on the Theories of Violent Crimes and the Biopsychosocial Model of Criminal Behaviour. Following his lecture, a criminal case scenario was presented for discussion. Attendees were given specific discussion points, after which Dr. Saleem provided an in-depth analysis using the biopsychosocial theoretical framework in relation to the criminal case.

Furthermore, Dr. Areeha Khan Durrani, a lecturer from the same department, lectured on the topic of Formal Psychological Assessment. She detailed various types of tests pertinent to evaluating an offender’s mental health, personality, intelligence, and risk assessment related to criminal behaviour. A particular case involving a convicted individual was discussed. Attendees engaged in a conversation to pinpoint which psychological tests would be most suitable for creating a comprehensive psychological assessment report for a prison inmate.

The module was facilitated by Ms. Fasiha Nargis, Deputy Registrar. Additionally, Ms. Lubna Azhar, the Principal Clinical Psychologist at Sheikh Zayed Medical College Lahore, spoke about the Clinical Interview informal assessment.

The Forensic Mental Health Certification course is particularly valuable for psychologists, especially those keen on specializing in the overlap of psychology and the justice system.