Cognitive-behavioural treatment for men with intellectual disabilities and sexually abusive behaviour: a pilot study

• Published in: Journal of intellectual disability research Vol. 51; no. 11; pp. 902 - 912
• Main Authors: Murphy, Glynis, Powell, Simon, Guzman, Ana-Maria, Hays, Sarah-Jane
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-11-2007; Blackwell Publishing; Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Behavior Modification; Behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical outcomes; Cognitive behaviour therapy; cognitive distortions; Cognitive Restructuring; Cognitive Therapy; cognitive-behavioural treatment; Community Mental Health Centers; Crime Victims - psychology; Culture; Empathy; England; Follow-Up Studies; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; intellectual disabilities; Intellectual Disability; Intellectual Disability - psychology; Intellectual Disability - therapy; Knowledge Level; Learning disabilities; Learning disabled people; Male; Males; Measures (Individuals); Medical sciences; Men; Mental Retardation; Middle Aged; Outcomes of Treatment; Pilot Projects; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychotherapy, Group; Recurrence; Sex Education; Sex offenders; Sex Offenses - legislation & jurisprudence; Sex Offenses - prevention & control; Sex Offenses - psychology; Sexual Abuse; Sexual Behavior; Sexual knowledge; sexually abusive behaviour; Studies; Treatments; victim empathy; England; Male; Cognition; Developmental disorder; Empathy; Mental retardation; cognitive- behavioural treatment; intellectual disabilities; Attitude change; victim empathy; Sex offense; Behavior therapy; Cognitive bias; Victim; Handicap; Human; Cognitive therapy; Group treatment; Treatment efficiency; cognitive distortions; Sexual behavior disorder; Treatment; Follow up study; Intellectual deficiency; Social behavior disorder; sexually abusive behaviour
• ISSN: 0964-2633; 1365-2788
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2007.00990.x

Background  Cognitive‐behaviour therapy (CBT) seems to be becoming the treatment of choice for non‐disabled sex offenders. Nevertheless, there have been relatively few evaluations of such treatment for men with intellectual disabilities (ID) and sexually abusive behaviour.
Method  A pilot study providing CBT for two groups of men with ID is described. Measures of change in sexual knowledge, victim empathy and cognitive distortions were collected, together with a log of further sexually abusive behaviour.
Results  Fifteen men were offered treatment but some dropped out and some declined to take part in the research. The results for the eight men who consented to the research and completed treatment showed significant positive changes in sexual knowledge and victim empathy (two men completed both groups, making 10 sets of data in all). Cognitive distortions showed significant change on only one of the two measures. Some men showed further sexually abusive behaviour either during or after the treatment group (all had been previously diagnosed as on the autistic spectrum).
Conclusion  There is a need for a larger multi‐site trial of treatment with a broad set of measures and the ability to analyse who benefits from such treatments and who does not.