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Virtual reality (VR) is a novel technology that could be used in the assessment and/or treatment of deliberate firesetting. This study aims to develop an understanding of clinicians’ views of VR for deliberate firesetting, to identify areas where VR could potentially add value to current practice and any particular barriers to using VR in this context.

Through an online survey, 73 clinicians rated their agreement with nine potential benefits of using VR for firesetting and 11 potential barriers to using it. They also provided free text responses detailing the greatest perceived potential benefit and the greatest perceived barrier. Factors related to intent to use VR for firesetting in the future were explored.

Clinicians perceived the ability to safely expose clients to fire-related stimuli to be highly beneficial. However, clinicians were concerned about the possibility of re-traumatisation and logistic barriers. Previous experience of using VR with individuals who have set fires was significantly related to using it in the future.

Further research establishing the feasibility and effectiveness of using VR with individuals who have set fires may help alleviate clinicians’ concerns. Increasing opportunities for clinicians to experience a firesetting VR programme may widen the implementation of firesetting VR.

Previous research has only focused on clinicians’ perceptions of VR in the general field of forensic mental health and has failed to consider offence-specific applications.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether early maladaptive schema (EMS) and autobiographical memory specificity mediate the relationship between abuse and attachment in childhood with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) characteristics among forensic inpatients.

The study adopted a quantitative cross-sectional design. In total, 34 male adults residing in medium secure facilities completed self-report measures. Data were analysed using bootstrapped mediation procedures.

The study’s hypotheses received partial support. The EMS of “entitlement/grandiosity” and autobiographical memory specificity differentially mediated the relationship between emotional and physical abuse and neglect, and parental care and overprotection with BPD characteristics, including trait anger and the frequent expression of anger. In line with attachment theory and the functional avoidance mechanism (Williams et al., 2007), the proposed mediators are conceptualised as adaptive responses to early adversity with potential maladaptive consequences for later interpersonal functioning.

These provisional findings will require further exploration with specific investigation of the relationship between EMS and autobiographical memory specificity. It is recommended that future research replicates the study’s design with a larger sample and investigate the role of other mediators and moderators in this complex relationship. Examples of these are mentalisation, social problem-solving capabilities, social support and adult attachment styles.

Clinical implications encourage the incorporation of these mediators into clinical formulation, intervention and ward practices.

For forensic inpatients with a history of adversity, interventions working directly with EMS and specificity of autobiographical memory, e.g. schema therapy (Young, 1999), mentalisation and mindfulness may be useful. Furthermore, the relationship between EMS and specificity of autobiographical memory with interpersonal experience and functioning can be incorporated into clinical formulation.

The main aim of this paper is to describe the content, structure and preliminary evaluation of a new Good Lives sexual offender treatment group (SOTG) for male mentally disordered offenders.

As evaluation and work on the SOTG is necessarily ongoing, case study descriptions of each patient who attended the SOTG and of their progress throughout SOTG are described.

Overall, the case study progress reports suggest that mentally disordered male patients made some notable progress on SOTG despite their differential and complex needs. In particular, attention to each patient's life goals and motivators appeared to play a key role in promoting treatment engagement. Furthermore, patients with lower intelligence quotient and/or indirect pathways required additional support to understand the links between the Good Lives Model (GLM) and their own risk for sexual offending.

Further evaluations of SOTG groups, that incorporate higher numbers of participants and adequate control groups, are required before solid conclusions and generalisations can be made.

Practitioners should consider providing additional support to clients when implementing any future SOTGs for mentally disordered patients.

This is the first paper to outline and describe implementation of the GLM in the sexual offender treatment of mentally disordered male patients group format. As such, it will be of interest to any professionals involved in the facilitation of sexual offender treatment within this population.