Quality of life of violent and sexual offenders in community-based forensic psychiatric treatment

Abstract

Subjective well-being is a common outcome measure in the evaluation of treatment in general psychiatry, but not yet in forensic psychiatry. The impact of quality of life, defined in terms of objective indicators and subjective well-being, on criminal recidivism is unknown. Several criminological theories, such as Ward's good lives model, point at a possible relationship. In a study of male forensic psychiatric outpatients suffering from personality disorders, the quality of life of sexual and violent offenders was compared, using the Dutch version of the Lancashire Quality of Life Profile. The results indicated that although sexual offenders and violent offenders hardly differed on objective indicators of quality of life, their judgments of their subjective well-being differed significantly. Sexual offenders were more satisfied in general and in particular with their family relationships, safety, and health. For both groups, different objective and subjective indicators correlated with global well-being. Assessment of domain-specific objective and subjective issues and global well-being, at the beginning of treatment, may improve the effectiveness of treatment and the quality of life of the forensic patient.