The Forensic psychiatric centre in Antwerp (FPC Antwerp) is a treatment centre that admits patients who have committed offences because of a mental disorder but who do not belong in a prison. In the FPC, these patients with high security needs receive tailored care and treatment in a secure setting. The treatment aims to reduce risk factors and recidivism. The ultimate goal is for patients to return to society in a safe and responsible manner, or to transfer to a less secured environment.The FPC Antwerp opened in August 2017 and accommodates at its full capacity 182 patients, both men and women (a maximum of 10% of the beds are reserved for women).

 

The centre has patients whose primary diagnosis is a psychotic or personality disorder and patients with a mental disability (according to DSM-5). DSM-5 stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition and is a classification system for mental disorders. There is often comorbidity, i.e. multiple disorders at the same time. The primary diagnosis determines the therapeutic environment in which the patient stays at FPC Antwerp.