Effect of sex offenders treatment program on cognitive and emotional characteristics of mentally ill sex offenders.
This study assessed the effect of a 10-week cognitive behavior treatment program in 30 mentally ill sex offenders. The effect of the program was evaluated using the Interpersonal Responsiveness Index (IRI), UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLALS), Coping Using Sex Inventory (CUSI), and Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (RMAS). Data were analyzed using the paired t-test. The ability of sex offenders to cope with sexual acts when they faced stressful situations and to accept the rape myth was significantly improved on CUSI (t = 2.09, p = 0.04) and RMAS (t = 5.45, p < 0.001). Feelings of isolation and the ability to empathize based on IRI (t = 0.62, p = 0.54) and UCLALS (t = 0.88, p = 0.38) were not significantly improved. To prevent recidivism, treatment for mentally ill sex offenders should focus on changes in their cognitive and emotional characteristics in addition to their main psychiatric illness.
Department of Mental Health & Behavioral Medicine Services for Clinical Departments, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea. retrial3@hanmail.net
Jeong-Hyun
JH
Kim
Sang Sub
SS
Choi
Moon Sung
MS
Rhee
Sun Bum
SB
Kim
Ji Sook
JS
Joung
Eun Hye
EH
Kim
D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D004644:Emotions; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology