For a particular subgroup of individuals with severe paraphilic disorders and a high risk of sexual recidivism, the combination of sex drive–reducing medications and psychotherapy is a promising treatment approach. The present quasi-experimental study aims at comparing differences in clinical characteristics and dynamic risk factors between persons receiving (+TLM, n = 38) versus not receiving (−TLM, n = 22) testosterone-lowering medications (TLMs). Individuals receiving TLM were more frequently diagnosed with paraphilic disorders. Neither the criminal history nor average risk scores differed between the two groups. In the +TLM, Stable-2007 scores showed a stronger decrease after TLM treatment was started. This accounted especially for the general and sexual self-regulation subscales. Individual variations in risk, however, were not predicted by TLM but were significantly related to treatment duration and Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL-R) Factor I. Paraphilic patients with problems in self-regulatory abilities seem to profit most from pharmacological sex drive–reducing treatment. Furthermore, therapists seem to underestimate deviant sexual fantasies in medicated patients.
AbstractIn this research, we considered how various structural aspects of friendship networks relate to marital quality according to gender. To investigate this issue, we drew on data from a large longitudinal survey on marital functioning based on 903 heterosexual couples living in Switzerland. Using reports from male and female partners, we explored the extent to which joint contacts, transitivity, and overlap in friendship structures affect various indicators of marital quality for husbands and wives in the long run. Our results indicate that separate, low transitive friendship networks affect marital quality negatively for women, but not for men. We also discuss the importance of the results for understanding the dynamics of heterosexual couples within larger relational contexts beyond dyadic interactions, as well as the relevance of separately analyzing husbands' and wives' marital dynamics.