Although the therapeutic relationship is considered an essential precursor of therapy, developing effective therapeutic relationships with psychopathic patients is frequently viewed as a challenging if not impossible task. Many commentators have dismissed psychopathic patients as untreatable. There has been a lack of research exploring how clinicians may develop therapeutic relationships with the patient group, including a lack of studies into psychopathic patients' views. The aim of the current study was to explore how patients with psychopathy experience past and present therapeutic relationships and what therapist characteristics and behaviours they find helpful and unhelpful in supporting the development and maintenance of therapeutic relationships. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven psychopathic patients in a special hospital setting and the resultant data was transcribed and analysed using grounded theory methodology. Grounded theory was chosen because it offers a clear, systematic method of analysis and aims to generate theory that is derived from participants' lived experience and can be used to inform future clinical intervention. Eight categories emerged from the analysis; 1. negative past experiences of others; 2. offending; 3. characteristics and beliefs about the self that impact engagement; 4. beliefs about others and therapy that impact engagement; 5. factors that facilitate therapy; 6. problems in relationships; 7. helpful and unhelpful staff member characteristics and 8. helpful and unhelpful staff member behavio~~s:Tllese categories inter-relate to form a grounded theory. The related recommendations may be used by services, psychologists and multi-disciplinary team~ to inform the development of therapeutic relationships with psychopathic patients.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:583317 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Jones, Leigh |
| Publisher | University of London |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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