Citation

Eher R, Hofer S, Buchgeher A, Domany S, Turner D, Olver ME. Front. Psychiatry 2019; 10: e922.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Frontiers Media)

DOI

10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00922

PMID

31969838

PMCID

PMC6960198

Abstract

Psychiatric diagnoses, static risk factors, and criminogenic needs at time of admission and release were examined in a mentally ill sample of psychiatrically detained sexual offenders. Although clinically found to be at low or even very low risk at discharge, 12% reoffended sexually over an average follow-up of 7 years. Psychotic disorders were present in only 5% of offenders, whereas 93% had a personality disorder diagnosis and 76% a paraphilic disorder diagnosis. Only exhibitionism and alcohol misuse were associated with relapse. Static risk factors captured by the Static-99 also did not significantly predict recidivism; however, the VRS-SO-a structured risk assessment tool that assesses criminogenic needs and changes in risk from treatment or other change agents, rated retrospectively on the present sample-predicted sexual recidivism as well as any new imprisonment or psychiatric placement. In particular, the sexual deviance factor of the VRS-SO had large in magnitude predictive associations with sexual reoffending, while treatment related changes assessed on this factor were significantly related to non-reoffending.

FINDINGS corroborate the advantages of structured risk assessment and structured change monitoring, particularly for complex clientele such as mentally ill sexual offenders.

Copyright © 2020 Eher, Hofer, Buchgeher, Domany, Turner and Olver.

Language: en

Keywords

psychiatric diagnoses; Violence Risk Scale–Sexual Offense Version (VRS-SO); psychiatric placement; risk assessment; risk change; sexual offenders