Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Offender Hopelessness: Lessons from Treatment of Forensic Inpatients

Patients remanded to forensic hospitals often experience a marked situational depression once initial psychotic symptoms subside and the reality of their legal situation becomes evident. Individual psychotherapy is not often used with this population due to a generally high level of impairment. It is suggested, that with modifications, the cognitive-behavioral therapy manual by Michael Thase (in: VanHasselt, Hersen (eds) Sourcebook of psychological treatment manuals for adult disorders, 1996) designed to treat depression in psychiatric inpatients can be used to treat situational depression in forensic inpatients. Modifications include the use of increased behavioral techniques, the addition of a group component, and lengthening of time limits for each treatment phase. Case examples from a first attempt to implement the new treatment program are presented.