Exploring the treatment of problematic sexual interests across different countries

Helen Elliott, lecturer in Counselling at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), has collaborated in a new publication exploring the "Psychological treatment of problematic sexual interests: cross-country comparison".

The paper, published in the International Review of Psychiatry journal, reviews the use of psychotherapeutic approaches to treat individuals who have committed sexual crimes and/or have problematic sexual interests (PSI); including types of psychotherapy used, descriptions of preventive and reintegration programmes, and highlighting specific theoretical controversies.

It also features contributions by experts from Canada, the Czech Republic, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, who participated in an International Consensus Meeting held in Prague (2017), summarizing treatment programmes in their countries.

Discussing the findings of the publication, Helen highlighted the potential benefits and difficulties of international comparisons:

“The comparison revealed some general findings: each country has variability between its own programmes; most countries have different programmes for people who are in custody and who are in the community; the state-directed treatment programmes are primarily focused on criminal individuals, while non-criminal individuals are treated in preventive programmes and/or in special clinics or are untreated; the presence of PSI in patients is acknowledged in most programmes, although specific programmes exclusively for individuals with PSI rarely exist.

Studies on effectiveness are difficult to compare due to methodologic, political, and cultural differences. Further communication between more countries to share knowledge about successful treatments and preventive approaches is needed, especially enhanced international collaboration between researchers and clinicians to verify the effectiveness of current clinical and experimental program.”

You can find more information on our BA Psychology and Counselling degree course by visiting our website, contacting our Enquiries Team or by joining us on one of our Open Days.

Klapilová, K., Demidova, L., Elliott, H., Flinton, C., Weiss, P., & Fedoroff, P., (2019), Psychological treatment of problematic sexual interests: cross-country comparison, International Review of Psychiatry. doi: 10.1080/09540261.2019.1591353