Treatments for Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder (DSPD)in UK units

Burns, Tom, Yiend, Jenny, Fahy, Tom, Fitzpatrick, Ray, Rogers, Robert and Sinclair, Julia M.A. (2011) Treatments for Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder (DSPD)in UK units. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology. (doi:10.1080/14789949.2011.577439).

Abstract

Four units established in England for individuals with dangerous severe
personality disorder differ significantly in their treatment regimes. Their
distribution and relationship to risk are unknown. In this study, a
modified Delphi process identified the treatments and allocated them to
11 mutually exclusive categories. Attendance at treatments was obtained
from records, and these were compared to annual assessments of risk. Of
150 proposed treatments, 50 were allocated to the 11 categories. Only
two treatment categories were provided in all units. Specified
psychological treatment programmes occupied an average of less than
2 h a week, and 10% of patients had no treatment in each year.
Reduction in risk was significantly associated with total hours of
treatment received. A rigorous rationalisation of the treatments is
needed to permit a robust evaluation of their effectiveness. Further
research is needed to determine whether reductions in risk reflect
reoffending rates.

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Contributors

Author: Julia M.A. Sinclair

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