This is the first time associations with study success have been identified for patient involvement. Researchers might now consider ways to involve patients more comprehensively as this is associated with study success. Further research is needed to explore this finding.

Background: New health information technology (HIT) increasingly plays a role in health care as technology becomes cheaper and more widespread. However, there is a danger that those who do not use or have access to technology will not benefit from HIT innovations, thus creating a “digital divide”.Aims: To assess the extent to which mental health service users have access to, skills in using and appetite for various technologies.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was used to assess technology use and access patterns of 121 people from community mental health services. Data were analysed using logistic regression.Results: Technology use and access were very similar to that of the general population with older individuals reporting less familiarity, access and confidence across a range of technologies. Black, minority and ethnic (BME) groups were more likely to access computers outside of their own homes than white individuals. Older participants experiencing psychosis indicated a desire to increase their computer use.Conclusions: The findings reported here contrast with recent evidence suggesting that those who do not engage with technology are “self-excluders”. Furthermore, BME groups may need extra support regarding provision of technology in order to engage with HIT.

The provision of psychological services to sexual offenders presents therapists with many challenges, including exposure to vivid descriptions of sexual violence and trauma. Although there is an increasingly robust body of literature investigating the effects of such traumatic exposure on therapists who work with the victims of sexual abuse, there have been few studies of its impact on those who treat the perpetrators. This study provides an exploratory investigation of the experience of psychological distress among therapists who work with sex offenders, as well as the social support mechanisms that may serve to mitigate therapist risk. Fifty-nine sex offender therapists completed a self-report measure of posttraumatic stress symptomatology, and rated their perceptions of family and peer support. therapists also reported the number of hours that they devote to sex offender treatment and the amount of clinical supervision they participate in on a weekly basis. As a group, participants reported experiencing low levels of general and trauma-related distress. Although statistical analyses failed to indicate the existence of a significant positive correlation between number of hours devoted to sex offender treatment and the experience of therapist distress, greater perceptions of peer support were significantly predictive of lower levels of psychological distress and PTSD symptoms. These results are discussed relative to their implications for sex offender therapist self-care and future research.

Phallometric studies suggest that some adolescent sex offenders exhibit anomalous sexual interests. However, there have been ethical and practical objections to the phallometric testing of adolescents. Alternative measures may be needed if we are to understand the role of anomalous sexual interests in adolescent sexual offending. The Screening Scale for Pedophilic Interests (SSPI) was designed as a brief measure of pedophilic interests based on sexual offense history variables: any male victims, more than one victim, any victims under age 12, and any unrelated victims. Score on the SSPI is significantly and positively correlated with phallometrically measured pedophilic interests among adult offenders against children. In this study, the SSPI was scored in three samples of adolescent sex offenders who underwent phallometric testing for pedophilic interests. Scores on the SSPI were positively correlated with a phallometric index of relative sexual arousal to children in all three samples. This relationship was strongest using visual stimuli. The positive relationship between SSPI scores and pedophilic responding held up despite the use of different penile measures, stimulus sets, procedures, and scoring methods. The usefulness of the SSPI as a proxy measure among adolescents is discussed.

A covert observation of posts on a pro-pedophile Internet message board investigated evidence of distorted cognitions that were supportive of sexually abusive behavior. Implications for the treatment and supervision of members of online communities that support pedophilic interests and behaviors are discussed.