Forensic Psychotherapy for Adults with Learning Disabilities: An Inpatient Group-Analytic Group

Abstract

People with learning disabilities are at high risk of behavioural problems, including offending behaviours. Psychoanalytically based forensic psychotherapy is a recognized therapeutic option for offenders without disabilities. However, its application to people with learning disabilities who offend or are at risk of offending has largely been neglected. In this paper, after clarifying the concept of learning disability we look at its traditional neglect by psychoanalysis. Subsequently we describe important clinical characteristics associated with learning disabilities and offending with specific reference to group-analytic theory. Finally we offer a clinical illustration by briefly describing the assembling and conducting of a forensic psychotherapy group along group-analytic lines before reaching some important conclusions.