The Response of Psychopaths to a Therapeutic Community

Abstract

The Henderson Hospital is a 68 bed unit for the in-patient treatment of young people of both sexes who are described as psychopaths, sociopaths, personality disorders or character disorders. Treatment is by means of a Therapeutic Community, and prospective patients are referred by external psychiatrists with no working commitment in the hospital, by prison medical officers and sometimes by Probation Officers and other social workers with the medical backing of a general practitioner. All prospective patients are seen at a group interview and on the basis of this will be selected for admission or not.