Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

This study evaluates the efficacy of a short-term cognitive-behavioral anger control intervention with forensic patients. Forty subjects participated in the study and were randomly assigned to an anger control treatment or to a control group. The anger control group consisted of six one-hour sessions of cognitive-behavioral and stress inoculation treatment while the control group consisted of a psychoeducational treatment of comparable length. Subjects were assessed pre- and postintervention on measures of anger, impulsivity, and coping strategies. The results of the study demonstrated that following treatment, anger control subjects reported significantly lower levels of anger than did control subjects. In addition, following participation in the anger control treatment, subjects reported a greater use of cognitive restructuring strategies and less use of self-denigration strategies than did the controls. The overall results of this study support the efficacy of a short-term cognitive-behavioral treatment for anger control with forensic patients. The potential use of this short-term intervention for the prediction and assessment of treatability is also discussed.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bandura, A. (1973). Aggression: A social learning analysis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Beck, A. (1976). Cognitive therapy and the emotional disorders. New York: International Universities Press.

Curran, W. J. , McGarry, A. L. , & Petty, C. S. (1980). Modern legal medicine, psychiatry, and forensic science. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis.

Dollard, J. , Doob, L. , Miller, N. , Mowrer, O. , & Sears, R. (1939). Frustration and aggression. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Ellis, A. , & Grieger, R. (1977). Handbook of rational-emotive therapy. New York: Springer.

Feindler, F. L. , Marriott, S. A. , & Iwata, M. (1984). Group anger control training for junior high school delinquents. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 8(3), 299-311.

Kaufmann, L. , & Wagner, B. (1972). Barb: A systematic treatment technology for temper control disorders. Behavior Therapy, 3, 84-90.

Kellner, R. (1981). Drug treatment in personality disorders. In W. H. Reid (Ed.), The treatment of antisocial syndromes. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

Lion, J. R. (1983). Special aspects of psychopharmacology. In J. R. Lion & W. H. Reid (Eds.), Assaults within psychiatric facilities. New York: Grune and Stratton.

10.

Lion, J. R. , Azcarate, C. , Christopher, R. , & Arana, J. D. (1974). A violence clinic. Maryland State Medical Journal, 23, 45-48.

11.

Meichenbaum, D. (1975). A self instructional approach to stress management: A proposal for stress inoculation training. In C. Spielberger & I. Sarason (Eds.), Stress and anxiety, Vol. 2. New York: John Wiley.

12.

Meichenbaum, D. (1985). Stress inoculation training. New York: Pergamon.

13.

Menninger, K. (1938). Man against himself. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World.

14.

Moon, J. R. , & Eisler, R. M. (1983). Anger control: An experimental comparison of three behavioral treatments. Behavior Therapy, 8, 493-505.

15.

Nomellini, S. , & Katz, R. C. (1983). Effects of anger control training and abusive parents. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 7(1), 57-68.

16.

Novaco, R. W. (1975). Anger control. Lexington, MA: Lexington.

17.

Novaco, R. W. (1976). The functions and regulation of the arousal of anger. American Journal of Psychiatry, 133(10), 1124-1128.

18.

Novaco, R. W. (1977). Stress inoculation: A cognitive therapy for anger and its application to a case of depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 45, 600-608.

19.

Novaco, R. W. (1983). Stress inoculation therapy for anger control. In P. A. Keller & L. G. Ritt (Eds.), Innovations in clinical practice: A sourcebook. Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Exchange.

20.

Porteus, S. D. (1965). Porteus maze test: The development and evaluation of an experimental treatment. Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath.

21.

Quinsey, V. L. , & Maguire, A. (1984). Offenders remanded for a psychiatric examination: Perceived treatability and disposition. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 6, 193-205.

22.

Schalling, D. , & Rosen, A. S. (1968). Porteus maze differences between psychopathic and non-psychopathic criminals. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 7, 224-228.

23.

Tobin, D. L. , Holroyd, K. , & Reynolds, R. (1982). The assessment of coping: Psychometric development of the coping strategies inventory. Paper presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy.

Anger Control Treatment for Forensic Patients

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References