summary
background Very few articles have been published in professional journals concerning the design, content, and results of treatment programs for violent forensic psychiatric patients in the Netherlands.
aim To describe the development of a treatment program for forensic psychiatric patients with a cluster B personality disorder. In this program a treatment for aggression was combined with a treatment for substance abuse.
method Clinical findings obtained with both treatments are discussed, followed by a description of new modules that were added because of recent research results.
results The combined treatment program targets the principal dynamic factors that cause individuals to display criminal behaviour.
conclusion Empirical research is needed in order to find out whether the treatment as a whole produces better results than the two treatments administered separately.