A) To test if the EMDR addiction protocol by Hornsveld and Markus (2014), as an intervention, will lead to a reduction of deviant sexual arousal in exhibitionists, within four sessionsB) To test if the treatment effect is stableC) To test if the…
ID
Source
Brief title
Condition
- Sexual dysfunctions, disturbances and gender identity disorders
Synonym
Research involving
Sponsors and support
Intervention
Outcome measures
Primary outcome
The primary study parameter is the physiological arousal which will be measured
by the E4 wristband from Empatica. This is an instrument that, while worn on
the wrist, records body temperature, continuous heart rate and skin
conductance. Measurements will be carried out before the first treatment
session, after the last treatment session and after a follow-up period of eight
weeks. During the measurement, participants listen to an audio recording of an
individualized script that is based on their most exciting memory of exposing
their genitals. The various physiological data will be combined to one overall
measure for physiological arousal.
The healty controle group will be measured only once. This measurement will
the same as the measurement carried out before the first treatment from the
experimental group.
Secondary outcome
In cooperation with police and judicial authorities, after a follow-up period
of one and five years, it will be attempted to query information about new
police contacts for all participants in the patient population. This concerns
new arrest with regard to sexually offensive behaviour and in particular
indecent exposure.
For participants in the pilot study, no judicial information will be requested.
Background summary
Within the forensic mental health services exists a demand for the development
of focused interventions and/or guidelines for the treatment of specific
criminogenic factors. For sex offenders, deviant sexual arousal is such a
criminogenic factor. This study will examine whether the intervention Eye
Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is effective in reducing
deviant sexual arousal in men who expose their genitals. The hypothesis is that
EMDR treatment of exhibitionists, according to the addiction protocol by
Hornsveld and Markus (2014), within four sessions, will lead to a significant
decrease of physiological arousal, activated by a deviant sexual script. It is
expected that this will reduce the risk of recidivism.
Looking at the first analysis from the current research it seems that the
healty controle persons who tested the procedure and the equipment, react with
higher arousal patterns than the exhibitionists that took part in the research.
To make more evidence-based statements a healthy controle group is needed.
Study objective
A) To test if the EMDR addiction protocol by Hornsveld and Markus (2014), as an
intervention, will lead to a reduction of deviant sexual arousal in
exhibitionists, within four sessions
B) To test if the treatment effect is stable
C) To test if the treatment effect decreases the recidivism risk
D) To test if the measured physiological arousal of the research group will be
lower than those of a matched healthy controle group
Based on these objectives, the following hypotheses are formulated:
1) It is expected that EMDR treatment of exhibitionists, according to the
addiction protocol by Hornsveld and Markus (2014), will lead to a decrease of
physiological arousal, activated by a deviant sexual script, within four
sessions.
2) It is expected that this decrease of physiological arousal will be larger in
comparison with a control group, which receives four individual sessions of
cognitive behavioural therapy, targeting deviant sexual arousal.
3) It is expected that the differences between the two groups will persist at a
follow-up measurement eight weeks later.
4) In the long run (1-5 years), it is expected that the group of exhibitionists
who were treated with EMDR, will have encountered less police contacts due to
indecent exposure, than the control group.
5) It is expected that exibitionists show less general arousal in their
reactions to their exhibitionistic fantasies than the men from the healthy
controle group.
Study design
It concerns a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Clients will be approached for
participation after the intake procedure. After informed consent, they will be
allocated at random to the experimental or the control condition. The
experimental condition consists of four EMDR sessions targeting the attraction
and deviant sexual arousal that accompanies the exposure of genitals. The
control condition consists of four cognitive behavioural therapy sessions
targeting the impulse-control regarding deviant sexual arousal and the urge for
indecent exposure. Both treatment conditions include a fifth concluding session.
For the pilot study participants will be approached who are already in
treatment in our institution for a longer period. The fifth, concluding session
will be combined with the final measurement session.
The healthy control group will be recruited through the website 'proefbunny'.
Researchers will also hand out flyers at some large events. If candidates show
interest, they will receive participant information. After informed consent,
they will take part in one measurement session.
Intervention
One group receives four EMDR sessions. Another group receives four sessions of
cognitive behavioural therapy. Both treatments are specifically directed
towards the deviant sexual arousal. Both treatment conditions include a fifth
concluding session.
For the pilot study, all participants will receive the EMDR treatment. The
fifth, concluding session, will be combined with the last measurement session.
Study burden and risks
There are no safety risks associated with the treatments. Both the EMDR
treatment and the cognitive behavioural therapy, can elicit feelings of shame
through directly handling private and sensitive topics (sexual arousal).
Clinical practice has shown that such feelings are well tolerated and can also
be beneficial in the processing of the problems. Further, it is possible that
participants will need a moment to accustom to wearing the special watch for
the measurement of arousal.
The burden implies four treatment sessions of one hour, a concluding session of
45 minutes, and four sessions of 45 minutes for conducting the measurements.
For the pilot study, the concluding session will be combined with the last
measurement session. Also, there will be no follow-up measurement. The burden
for participants in the pilot study will therefore be two sessions of 45
minutes less. The burden for the healty controls is one session of 45 minutes.
Participants are at any time free to prematurely end their participation,
without this having any negative consequences for the rest of their treatment.
Willem Dreeslaan 2
Utrecht 3515 GB
NL
Willem Dreeslaan 2
Utrecht 3515 GB
NL
Listed location countries
Age
Inclusion criteria
- Age between18 and 70 years
- Male gender
- Participants are able to acknowledge that there has been a (partly) positive
experience while exposing
Exclusion criteria
- Presence of a severe psychiatric mental state like a psychotic disorder,
depressive disorder, bipolar disorder or organic mental disorder
- Insufficient Dutch language skills
- Age under 18 or above 70 years
Design
Recruitment
Followed up by the following (possibly more current) registration
No registrations found.
Other (possibly less up-to-date) registrations in this register
No registrations found.
In other registers
| Register | ID |
|---|---|
| CCMO | NL52658.078.15 |