Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-wq484 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T08:48:54.064Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Risk reduction treatment of psychopathy and applications to mentally disordered offenders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2015

Stephen C. P. Wong  and
Mark E. Olver
Stephen C. P. Wong*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
Mark E. Olver
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
*
*Address for correspondence: Stephen Wong, University of Saskatchewan–Psychology, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5A5, Canada. (Email: s.wong@sasktel.net)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Therapeutic nihilism on treating psychopathy is widespread and is largely based on many outdated and poorly designed studies. Important recent advances have been made in assessing psychopathy and recidivism risks, as well as in offender rehabilitation to reduce reoffending, all of which are now well supported by a considerable literature based on credible empirical research. A 2-component model to guide risk reduction treatment of psychopathy has been proposed based on the integration of key points from the 3 bodies of literature. Treatment programs in line with the model have been in operation, and the results of early outcome evaluations are encouraging. Important advances also have been made in understanding the possible etiology of mentally disordered offenders with schizophrenia and history of criminality and violence, some with significant features of psychopathy. This article presents a review of recent research on risk reduction treatment of psychopathy with the additional aim to extend the research to the treatment of mentally disordered offenders with schizophrenia, violence, and psychopathy.

Keywords

Assessmentmental disorderoffenderpsychopathyriskschizophreniatreatmentviolence
Type
Review Articles
Information
CNS Spectrums , Volume 20 , Special Issue 3: Violence in the Psychiatric Setting , June 2015 , pp. 303 - 310
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Felthous, AR. The “untreatability” of psychopathy and hospital commitment in the USA. Int J Law Psychiatry. 2011; 34(6): 400–405.Google Scholar
2. Cleckley, H. The mask of sanity, 5th ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby; 1976.Google Scholar
3. Hare, RD. The Hare Psychopathy Checklist–Revised, 2nd ed. Toronto, ON: Multi-Health Systems, Inc.; 2003.Google Scholar
4. Skeem, JL, Polaschek, D, Patrick, C, Lilienfeld, SO. Psychopathic personality: bridging the gap between scientific evidence and public policy. Psychological Science in the Public Interest . 2011; 12(3): 95–162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5. Cooke, DJ, Hart, SD, Logan, C, Michie, C. Explicating the construct of psychopathy: development and validation of a conceptual model, the Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality (CAPP). International Journal of Forensic Mental Health. 2012; 11(4): 242–252.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6. MacDonald, AW, Iacono, WG. Toward an integrated perspective on the etiology on psychopathy. In: Patrick CJ, ed. Handbook of Psychopathy. New York: Guilford Press; 2006: 375–385.Google Scholar
7. Simourd, DJ, Hoge, RD. Criminal psychopathy: a risk-and-need perspective. Criminal Justice and Behavior. 2000; 27(2): 256–272.Google Scholar
8. Wong, S. Treatment of criminal psychopath. In: Hodgins S, Muller-Isberner R, eds. Violence, Crime and Mentally Disordered Offenders: Concepts and Methods for Effective Treatment and Prevention. London: Wiley; 2000: 81–106.Google Scholar
9. Rice, ME, Harris, GT, Cormier, CA. An evaluation of a maximum security therapeutic community for psychopaths and other mentally disordered offenders. Law and Human Behavior. 1992; 16(4): 399–412.Google Scholar
10. Rice, M, Harris, GT, Cormier, CA. Violent Recidivism Among Psychopaths and Nonpsychopaths Treated in a Therapeutic Community. Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada: Mental Health Centre; 1989.Google Scholar
11. D’Silva, K, Duggan, C, McCarthy, L. Does treatment really make psychopaths worse? A review of the evidence. J Pers Disord. 2004; 18(2): 163–177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12. Salekin, RT. Psychopathy and therapeutic pessimism: Clinical lore or clinical reality? Clin Psychol Rev. 2002; 22(1): 79–112.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13. Salekin, R, Worley, C, Grimes, RD. Treatment of psychopathy: a review and brief introduction to the mental model approach for psychopathy. Behav Sci Law. 2010; 28(2): 235–266.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14. Bernstein, DP, Nijman, HLI, Karos, K, Keulen-de Vos, M, de Vogel, V, Lucker, TP. Schema therapy for forensic patients with personality disorders: design and preliminary findings of a multicenter randomized clinical trial in The Netherlands. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health. 2012; 11(4): 312–324.Google Scholar
15. Olver, ME, Wong, SCP. Therapeutic responses of psychopathic sexual offenders: Treatment attrition, therapeutic change, and long term recidivism. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2009; 77(2): 328–336.Google Scholar
16. Wong, SCP, Gordon, A, Gu, D, Lewis, K, Olver, ME. The effectiveness of violence reduction treatment for psychopathic offenders: empirical evidence and a treatment model. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health. 2012; 11(4): 336–349.Google Scholar
17. McGuire, J. A review of effective interventions for reducing aggression and violence. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2008; 363(1503): 2577–2597.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18. Wong, SCP, Hare, RD. Guidelines for a Psychopathy Treatment Program. Toronto, Canada: Multihealth Systems; 2005.Google Scholar
19. Yang, M, Wong, SCP, Coid, J. The efficacy of violence prediction: A meta-analytic comparison of nine risk assessment instruments. Psychol Bull. 2010; 136(5): 740–767.Google Scholar
20. Hawes, SW, Boccaccini, MT, Murrie, DC. Psychopathy and the combination of psychopathy and sexual deviance as predictors of sexual recidivism: meta-analytic findings using the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised. Psychol Assess. 2013; 25(1): 233–243.Google Scholar
21. Olver, ME, Neumann, CS, Wong, SC, Hare, RD. The structural and predictive properties of the Psychopathy Checklist--revised in Canadian aboriginal and non-aboriginal offenders. Psychol Assess. 2013; 25(1): 167–179.Google Scholar
22. Olver, ME, Wong, SCP. Short- and long-term recidivism prediction of the PCL-R and the effects of age: a 24-year follow-up. Personal Disord. 2015; 6(1): 97–105.Google Scholar
23. Pouls, C, Jeandarme, I. Psychopathy in offenders with intellectual disabilities: a comparison of the PCL-R and PCL-SV. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health. 2014; 13(3): 207–216.Google Scholar
24. Douglas, KS, Strand, S, Belfrage, H, Fransson, G, Levander, S. Reliability and validity evaluation of the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL-R: SV) in Swedish correctional and forensic psychiatric samples. Assessment. 2005; 12(2): 145–161.Google Scholar
25. Walters, GD, Wilson, NJ, Glover, AJ. Predicting recidivism with the Psychopathy Checklist: are factor score composites really necessary? Psychol Assess. 2011; 23(2): 552–557.Google Scholar
26. Kennealy, PJ, Skeem, JL, Walters, GD, Camp, J. Do core interpersonal and affective traits of PCL-R psychopathy interact with antisocial behavior and disinhibition to predict violence? Psychol Assess. 2010; 22(3): 569–580.Google Scholar
27. Barbaree, HE. Psychopathy, treatment behavior, and recidivism: an extended follow-up of Seto and Barbaree. J Interpers Violence. 2005; 20(9): 1115–1131.Google Scholar
28. Hobson, J, Shine, J, Roberts, R. How do psychopaths behave in a prison therapeutic community? Psychology, Crime, & Law. 2000; 6(2): 139–154.Google Scholar
29. Hughes, G, Hogue, T, Hollin, C, Champion, H. First-stage evaluation of a treatment programme for personality disordered offenders. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry. 1997; 8(3): 515–527.Google Scholar
30. Ogloff, JRP, Wong, S, Greenwood, A. Treating criminal psychopaths in a therapeutic community program. Behavioral Sciences and the Law. 1990; 8(2): 181–190.Google Scholar
31. Langton, CM, Barbaree, HE, Harkins, L, Peacock, EJ. Sex offenders’ response to treatment and its association with recidivism as a function of psychopathy. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment. 2006; 18(1): 99–120.Google Scholar
32. Olver, ME, Wong, SCP. Predictors of sex offender treatment dropout: psychopathy, sex offender risk, and responsivity implications. Psychology, Crime & Law. 2011; 17(5): 457–471.Google Scholar
33. Wong, SCP, Gordon, A. The validity and reliability of the Violence Risk Scale: a treatment friendly violence risk assessment scale. Psychology, Public Policy and Law. 2006; 12(3): 279–309.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
34. Lewis, K, Olver, ME, Wong, SCP. The Violence Risk Scale: predictive validity and linking changes in risk with violent recidivism in a sample of high risk offenders with psychopathic traits. Assessment. 2013; 20(2): 150–164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
35. Olver, M, Lewis, K, Wong, SCP. Risk reduction treatment of high-risk psychopathic offenders: the relationship of psychopathy and treatment change to violent recidivism. Personality Disorder: Theory, Research and Treatment. 2013; 4(2): 160–167.Google Scholar
36. Wong, S, Olver, M, Nicholaichuk, T, Gordon, A. Violence Risk Scale–Sexual Offender Version. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada: University of Saskatchewan and Regional Psychiatric Centre; 2003–2009.Google Scholar
37. Olver, ME, Wong, SCP, Nicholaichuk, TP, Gordon, A. The validity and reliability of the Violence Risk Scale–Sexual Offender version: assessing sex offender risk and evaluating therapeutic change. Psychol Assess. 2007; 19(3): 318–329.Google Scholar
38. Kraemer, HC, Kazdin, AE, Offord, DR, Kessler, RC, Jensen, PS, Kupfer, DJ. Coming to terms with the terms of risk. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1997; 54(4): 337–343.Google Scholar
39. Livesley, J. Practical Management of Personality Disorder. New York: Guilford Press; 2003.Google Scholar
40. Livesley, J. Common elements of effective treatment. In: van Luyn B, Akhtar S, Livesley J, eds. Severe Personality Disorder. New York: Cambridge University Press; 2007: 211–239.Google Scholar
41. Livesley, J. The relevance of an integrated approach to the treatment of personality disordered offenders. Psychology, Crime & Law. 2007; 13(1): 27–46.Google Scholar
42. Andrews, DA, Bonta, J. The Psychology of Criminal Conduct. Cincinnati, OH: Anderson; 1994.Google Scholar
43. Andrews, DA, Bonta, J. The Psychology of Criminal Conduct, 5th ed. New Providence, NJ: LexisNexis; 2010.Google Scholar
44. National Institute of Clinical Excellence. Antisocial Personality Disorder: Treatment, Management and Prevention. London: National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health; 2009.Google Scholar
45. Wong, SCP, Gordon, A. The Violence Reduction Program: a treatment program for high risk violence prone offenders. Psychology, Crime, & Law. 2013; 19(5–6): 461–475.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
46. Nicholaichuk, T, Gordon, A, Gu, D, Wong, S. Outcome of an institutional sexual offender treatment program: a comparison between treated and matched untreated offenders. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment. 2000; 12(2): 137–153.Google Scholar
47. Olver, M, Wong, SCP, Nicholaichuk, TP. Outcome evaluation of a high intensity inpatient sex offender treatment program. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 2009; 24(3): 522–536.Google Scholar
48. Olver, M, Wong, SCP. A description and research review of the Clearwater Sex Offender Treatment Programme. Psychology, Crime & Law. 2013; 19(5–6): 477–492.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
49. Gordon, A, Wong, SCP. Offense analogue behaviours as indicator of criminogenic need and treatment progress in custodial settings. In: Daffern M, Jones L, Shine J. eds. Offence Paralleling Behaviour: An Individualized Approach to Offender Assessment and Treatment. Chichester, UK: Wiley; 2010: 171–184.Google Scholar
50. Miller, WR, Rollnick, S. Motivational Interviewing : Preparing People for Change, 2nd ed. New York: Guildford; 2002.Google Scholar
51. Wong, SCP, Gordon, A, Gu, D. The assessment and treatment of violence-prone forensic clients: an integrated approach. Br J Psychiatry. 190(49): s66–s74.Google Scholar
52. Douglas, KS, Guy, LS, Hart, SD. Psychosis as a risk factor for violence to others: a meta-analysis. Psychol Bull. 2009; 135(5): 679–706.Google Scholar
53. Witt, K, van dorn, R, Fazel, S. Risk factors for violence in psychosis: systematic review and meta-regression analysis of 110 studies. PloS One. 2013; 8(2): e55942.Google Scholar
54. Bonta, J, Law, M, Hanson, K. The prediction of criminal and violent recidivism among mentally disordered offenders: a meta-analysis. Psychol Bull. 1998; 123(2): 123–142.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
55. Bonta, J, Blais, J, Wilson, H. A theoretically informed meta-analysis of the risk for general and violent recidivism for mentally disordered offenders. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 2014; 19(3): 278–287.Google Scholar
56. Skeem, JL, Winter, E, Kennealy, PJ, Louden, JE, Tatar, JR 2nd. Offenders with mental illness have criminogenic needs, too: toward recidivism reduction. Law Hum Behav. 2014; 38(3): 212–224.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
57. Hodgins, S. Violent behaviour among people with schizophrenia: a framework for investigations of causes, and effective treatment, and prevention. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2008; 363(1503): 2505–2518.Google Scholar
58. Moffitt, TE, Caspi, A. Childhood predictors differentiate life-course persistent and adolescence-limited antisocial pathways among males and females. Dev Psychopathol. 2001; 13(2): 355–375.Google Scholar
59. Tengström, A, Hodgins, S, Grann, M, Långström, N, Kullgren, G. Schizophrenia and criminal offending: the role of psychopathy and substance use disorders. Criminal Justice and Behavior. 2004; 31(4): 367–391.Google Scholar
60. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.Google Scholar
61. Hodgins, S, Côté, G, Toupin, J. Major mental disorder and crime: an etiological hypothesis. In: Cooke DJ, Forth AD, Hare RD, eds. Psychopathy: Theory, Research, and Implications for society. Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Kluwer Academic; 1998: 231–256.Google Scholar