ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: In an effort to increase understanding of the relationship between sexual violence and mental illness, we conducted an investigation of the prevalence of psychiatric illness and associated psychological features of sexual offenders. METHODS: Twenty-two male sex offenders were referred for psychiatric diagnosis from the prosecutor's office and admitted to the hospital between August 2010 and May 2011. In order to identify Axis I and II disorders, including sexual disorders, we conducted the Korean version of the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fourth Edition. All participants completed psychological assessment batteries, including the Korean-Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, and self-report scales, including the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, and the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale. Information on participants' legal, personal, and psychiatric family histories was also gathered. RESULTS: Many of the participants received diagnosis of Axis I disorders : Eight subjects (36.4%) had paraphilia, and five (22.7%) had pedophilia. Two subjects (9.1%) had schizophrenia, five (22.7%) had depressive disorder, and three (13.6%) had alcohol dependence. Participants also showed high rates of Axis II disorders : four of them (18.2%) had mental retardation or borderline intellectual functioning and seven (31.8%) had cluster B personality disorders. Participants' serum free testosterone level showed statistically significant correlation with motor impulsiveness (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Sex offenders included in this study displayed high rates of mental illness, including paraphilia and intellectual disability. On the basis of our findings, we asserted that sex offenders should undergo careful evaluation for mental illness, and that management programs for sex offenders should include psychiatric evaluation and intervention.
Subject(s)
Adult , Humans , Male , Alcoholism , Anger , Axis, Cervical Vertebra , Criminals , Depressive Disorder , Intellectual Disability , Intelligence , Korea , Mental Disorders , Paraphilic Disorders , Pedophilia , Personality Disorders , Prevalence , Rape , Schizophrenia , Sex Offenses , Testosterone , Weights and MeasuresABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study was investigated to prove the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavior Treatment Program in mentally ill sex offenders and to be used as basic data for development of optimized treatment program for mentally ill sex offenders. METHODS: Cognitive Behavior Treatment Program was carried out over 10 weeks for 30 mentally ill sex offenders. With Interpersonal Responsiveness Index (IRI), UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLALS), Coping Using Sex Inventory (CUSI) and Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (RMAS), the effectiveness of the treatment programme was evaluated. The data was analyzed with paired t-test. RESULTS: The results with 23 subjects showed no significant score changes after treatment program in IRI and UCLALS. However, there was a statistically significant improvement in the scores of CUSI and RMAS. CONCLUSION: Despite several limitations, this study showed significant effects of Cognitive Behavior Treatment Program on mentally-ill sex offenders. Therefore, treatment focused on the changes of cognitive and emotional characteristics of sex offenders along with the treatment for main psychiatric illness should be provided for mentally ill sex offenders to prevent recidivism. More studies to develope optimized treatment programme for mentally ill sex offenders are needed in the future.