Quality improvement of forensic mental health evaluations and reports of youth in the Netherlands

Quality improvement of forensic mental health evaluations and reports is needed, but little information is available on how this can be attained, and relatively little conceptual analysis has been undertaken. The STAR, a standardized evaluation instrument of the quality of forensic mental health reports of youth, is developed on the basis of concept mapping to clarify the different perspectives on usability of these reports. Psychometric data are provided, demonstrating the reliability and supporting the validity of the STAR. The Dutch forensic context is described to better understand the development and psychometric properties of this standardized instrument. Quality improvement possibilities of forensic mental health evaluations and reports are discussed.