Premium
Treatment of sex offenders with imaginal desensitization and/or medroxyprogesterone
Author(s) -
McConaghy N.,
Blaszczynski A.,
Kidson W.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1988.tb05101.x
Subject(s) - desensitization (medicine) , medroxyprogesterone , psychology , medroxyprogesterone acetate , medicine , psychiatry , hormone , receptor
— Thirty sex offenders were randomly allocated: 10 to receive medroxyprogesterone therapy (M), 10, imaginal desensitization (ID) and 10 both (ID + M). Twenty‐four responded for one year though 3 subsequently relapsed. There were no significant differences in response to the 3 treatments. Four patients who did not respond to the initial treatment and the 3 who relapsed responded to further treatment. Most treated with M maintained heterosexual intercourse at pretreatment frequency. Self‐reported reduction in anomolous sexual urges in patients receiving M correlated with reduced testosterone levels one month following treatment, demonstrating that the response was specific and validating the assessment by patients’ self‐reports. Where cost‐effectiveness or time constraints are factors influencing treatment of sex offenders, one of these therapies warrants consideration.