Anne Crocker, PhD, Douglas Hospital Research Centre researcher and assistant professor of psychiatry, McGill University, joined the Douglas Hospital Research Centre in 2002, after a two-year post-doctoral fellowship at Dartmouth Medical School, New Hampshire. Her work focuses on the interface between mental health and the law/violence. Although most individuals who have a severe mental illness or an intellectual disability do not engage in violent behavior, evidence has been accumulating over the past 20 years, indicating that some of these individuals are at increased risk for criminal and violent behavior. However, many individual, cultural and systemic factors influence the nature and intensity of this relationship.
Anne Crocker’s research program focuses on two main areas of forensic mental health:
- The identification of psychosocial factors associated with violence and criminality among vulnerable populations, such as individuals with a severe mental illness and individuals with an intellectual disability. She and her team are presently investigating the factors associated with violent behavior among individuals with an intellectual disability, who are living in the community. This three-year multi-site study is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la société et la culture (FQRSC)
- The interface between the criminal justice and mental health systems (e.g. competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility and mental health services research).
She presently has a Fonds de recherche en santé du Québec (FRSQ) grant to study factors associated with release decisions of individuals who have been declared non-criminally responsible, due to mental disorders, in three large Montréal institutions. This research program aims at furthering our knowledge regarding:
- the determinants of violent and criminal behavior among individuals with a severe mental illness or with an intellectual disability and
- the trajectories of these individuals in the criminal justice and mental health systems. This research will help better understand the nature and consequence of violent and criminal behavior among vulnerable populations, develop appropriate assessment methods and tools, and identify intervention priorities and orient policy making.
anne [dot] crocker [at] douglas [dot] mcgill [dot] ca (email) website
Selected Articles
Jansman, E., Seto, M., Crocker, A. G., Nicholls, T. N., & Côté, G. (in press). International trends in demand for forensic mental health services. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health Services.
Charette, Y., Crocker, A. G., & Billette (in press). The judicious disposition juggle: Characteristics of interventions by police services with persons with a mental illness. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.
Mercier, C., & Crocker, A. G. (2011). The first critical steps through the criminal justice system for persons with intellectual disabilities. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 38(2), 130-138.
Crocker, A. G., Braithwaite, E., Côté, G., Nicholls, T. N., & Seto, M. C. (2011). To detain or to release? Correlates of dispositions for individuals declared not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 56(5), 1-10.
Crocker, A. G., Braithwaite, E., Laferrière, D., Jenkins, A. T., Gagnon, D., Venegas, C. (2011). START changing cultures: Implementing a risk assessment and management tool in a civil psychiatric setting. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, 10, 13-28.
Crocker, A. G., Nicholls, T. N., Côté, G., Latimer, E. A., & Seto, M. C (2010). Individuals found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder: Are we providing equal protection and equivalent access to mental health services to accused mentally ill individuals across Canada? Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 29(2), 1-8.
Braithwaite, E., Charette, Y., Crocker, A. G., & Reyes, A. (2010). The predictive validity of clinical ratings of the Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability (START). International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, 9(4), 271-281.
Latimer, E. A., Farmer, O., Crocker, A. G., & Jenkins, A. T. (2010). Perceived coercion, client-centeredness, and positive and negative pressures in an assertive community treatment program: An exploratory study. Canadian Community Mental Health Journal, 29(1), 35-50.
Crocker, A. G., & Côté, G. (2010). Violence et maladie mentale : Vaincre la stigmatisation sans souffrir du syndrome de l’autruche. Le Partenaire, 19(1), 4-11.
Jaimes, A., & Crocker, A. G., (2010). Réussites et défis du programme d’accompagnement justice et santé mentale: un regard sur la première année de fonctionnement. Le Partenaire, 19(1), 14-17.
Lamoureux-Hébert, M., Morin, D., & Crocker, A. G. (2010). Support needs of individuals with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors. Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 3(2), 67-84.
Crocker, A. G. (2009). Santé mentale et la Loi : enjeux d’ordre éthique, scientifique et d’organisation des services. Editorial. Revue Santé mentale au Québec, 34(2), 7-19.
Jaimes, A., Crocker, A. G., Bédard, E., & Ambrosini, D. L. (2009). Au croisement de la justice et de la santé mentale : Objectifs, enjeux et limites des Tribunaux de santé mentale. Revue Santé Mentale au Québec, 34(2), 171-197.
Ambrosini D. L., & Crocker, A. G. (2009). Psychiatric advance directives and the role of autonomy. Revue Santé Mentale au Québec, 34(2), 51-74.
Frisman, L. K., Mueser, K. T., Covell, N. H., Lin, H.-J., Crocker, A. G., Drake, R. E., & Essock, S.M. (2009). Use of IDDT via ACT versus clinical case management for persons with co-occurring disorders and Anti-Social Personality Disorder. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 197(11), 822-828.
Crocker, A. G., & Côté, G. (2009). Evolving systems of care: Individuals found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder in custody of civil and forensic psychiatric settings. Special Forensic Issue. European Psychiatry, 24, 356-364.
Crocker, A. G., Hartford, K., & Heslop, L. (2009). Gender and police encounters: A comparison of individuals with and without mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 60(1), 86-93.
Ambrosini, D. L., Crocker, A. G., Perreault, M., & Israel M. (2008). Perceptions of psychiatric advance directives among legal and mental health professionals. Journal of Ethics in Mental Health, 3(1), 1-12.
Crocker, A. G., Côté, G., & Moscato, M. (2008). L’évaluation et la gestion du risque de comportements violents : De la clinique spécialisée à la pratique clinique générale. Numéro spécial: À propos de la schizophrénie. Revue Québécoise de Psychologie, 29(1), 137-155.
Caron, J., Tousignant, M., Pedersen, D., Fleury, M. J., Cargo, M., Daniel, M., Kestin, Y., Crocker, A., Perreault, M., Brunet, A., Tremblay, J., Turecki, G. M., & Beaulieu, S. (2007). La création d’une nouvelle génération d’études épidémiologiques en santé mentale. Santé Mentale au Québec, 32(2), 27-36.
Crocker, A. G., Mercier, C., Allaire, J.-F., & Roy, M.-E. (2007). Profiles and correlates of aggressive behaviour among individuals with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 51, 786-801.
Ambrosini, L. D., & Crocker, A. G. (2007). Psychiatric advanced directives and the right to refuse treatment in Canada. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 52(6), 397-402.
Crocker, A. G., Côté, G., Toupin, J., & St-Onge, B. (2007). Rate and characteristics of men with an intellectual disability among pre-trial detainees. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 32(2), 143-15.
Mueser, K. T., Crocker, A. G., Frisman, L. K., Drake, R. E., Essock, S. M., Covell, N. H. & McHugo, G. J. (2006). Conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder in persons with severe psychiatric and substance use disorders. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 32(4), 626-636.
Crocker, A. G., Mercier, C., Lachapelle, Y., Brunet, A., Morin, D., & Roy, M.-E. (2006). Prevalence and characteristics of aggressive behaviour among adults with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 50(9), 652-661.
Crocker, A. G., Mueser, K. T., Drake, R. E., Clark, E. E., McHugo, G. J., Ackerson, T. H., & Alterman, A. I. (2005). Antisocial personality, psychopathy and violence in persons with dual disorders: A longitudinal analysis. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 32(4), 452-476.
Corbière, M., Crocker, A. G., Lesage, A., Latimer, E., Ricard, N., & Mercier, C. (2002). Factor structure of the Multnomah Community Ability Scale. Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases, 190(6), 1-8.
Crocker, A. G., Eizner-Favreau, O., & Caulet, M. (2002). Gender and fitness to stand trial assessments: A five-year review of remands in Québec. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 25(1), 67-84.
Crocker, A. G., Caulet, M., & Eizner-Favreau, O. (2001). Interface santé mentale - justice criminelle : La criminalité des femmes référées pour évaluation de leur aptitude à subir leur procès. Revue Québécoise de Psychologie, 22(3), 137-153.
Crocker, A. G., Ohayon, M., & Caulet, M. (1998). Instruments d’évaluation de l’aptitude à subir son procès : une recension de la documentation scientifique. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 43(5), 482-490.
Ohayon, M. M., Crocker, A., St-Onge, B., & Caulet, M. (1998). Competency, responsibility and judicially ordered assessments. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 43(5), 491-495.
Crocker, A. G., & Hodgins, S. (1997). The criminality of non-institutionalized mentally retarded persons: Evidence from a birth cohort followed to age 30. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 24(4), 432-454.
Selected Books and Chapters
Crocker, A. G., Côté, G., & Braithwaite, E. (2011). Perspectives in violence risk assessment and management in mental health services. In E. Vyngilis, & S. State (Eds.), Applied research and evaluation in community mental health services: An update of key research domains (pp.94-114). McGill-Queens University Press.
Côté, G., & Crocker, A. G. (2010). Troubles mentaux et comportement violent: de la dangerosité à l'évaluation et à la gestion du risque. In M. Leblanc, & M. Cusson (Eds.), Traité de criminologie. Montréal : Les Presses de l’Université de Montréal.
Crocker, A. G. (2004). Troubles mentaux graves et violence: Prévalence, évaluation et gestion du risque. In T. Lecomte, & C. Leclerc (Eds.), Intervention de pointe en réadaptation psychiatrique (pp. 275-313). Montréal : Presses de l’Université du Québec.
Ohayon, M. M., & Crocker, A. G. (2000). Impact of Bill C-30 in the Province of Quebec. In D. Eaves, J. R. P. Ogloff, & R. Roesch (Eds.), Mental disorders and the Criminal Code: Legal background and contemporary perspectives (pp. 118-128). Burnaby, BC: Mental Health, Law, and Policy Institute