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A DSM-IV Axis I Comorbidity Study of Males (n = 120) with Paraphilias and Paraphilia-Related Disorders

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Abstract

One hundred and twenty consecutively evaluated outpatient males with paraphilias (PAs; n = 88, including 60 sex offenders) and paraphilia-related disorders (PRDs; n = 32) were systematically assessed for certain developmental variables and DSM-IV-defined Axis I comorbidity. In comparison with the PRDs, the PA group was statistically significantly more likely to self-report a higher incidence of physical (but not sexual) abuse, fewer years of completed education, a higher prevalence of school-associated learning and behavioral problems, more psychiatric/substance abuse hospitalizations, and increased employment-related disability as well as more lifetime contact with the criminal justice system. In both groups, the most prevalent Axis I disorders were mood disorders (71.6%), especially early onset dysthymic disorder (55%) and major depression (39%). Anxiety disorders (38.3%), especially social phobia (21.6%), and psychoactive substance abuse (40.8%), especially alcohol abuse (30%), were reported as well. Cocaine abuse was statistically significantly associated with PA males (p = .03). There was a statistically significant correlation between the lifetime prevalence of Axis I nonsexual diagnoses and hypersexual diagnoses (PAs and PRDs). The prevalence of retrospectively diagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was 35.8%, the third most prevalent Axis I disorder. ADHD (p = .01), especially ADHD-combined subtype (p = .009), was statistically significantly associated with PA status. ADHD was statistically significantly associated with conduct disorder, and both of these Axis I disorders were associated with the propensity for multiple PAs and a higher likelihood of incarceration. When the diagnosis of ADHD was controlled, the differences reported above between PAs and PRDs either became statistically nonsignificant or remained as only statistical trends. Thus, ADHD and its associated developmental sequellae and Axis I comorbidities was the single most common nonsexual Axis I diagnosis that statistically significantly distinguished males with socially deviant sexual arousal (PAs) from a nonparaphilic hypersexual comparison group (PRDs). Sex offender paraphiliacs were more likely to be diagnosed with conduct disorder, alcohol abuse, cocaine abuse, and generalized anxiety disorder. The prevalence of any ADHD in the sex offender paraphiliacs was 43.3%, and nearly 25% of offenders were diagnosed with ADHD-combined subtype.
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Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, Vol. 14, No. 4, October 2002 (C
°2002)
ADSM-IV Axis I Comorbidity Study
of Males (n= 120) With Paraphilias
and Paraphilia-Related Disorders
Martin P. Kafka1,3and John Hennen2
One hundred and twenty consecutively evaluated outpatient males with paraphil-
ias (PAs; n =88, including 60 sex offenders) and paraphilia-related disorders
(PRDs; n =32) were systematically assessed for certain developmental vari-
ables and DSM-IV-defined Axis I comorbidity. In comparison with the PRDs,
the PA group was statistically significantly more likely to self-report a higher in-
cidence of physical (but not sexual) abuse, fewer years of completed education, a
higher prevalence of school-associated learning and behavioral problems, more
psychiatric/substance abuse hospitalizations, and increased employment-related
disability as well as more lifetime contact with the criminal justice system. In
both groups, the most prevalent Axis I disorders were mood disorders (71.6%),
especially early onset dysthymic disorder (55%) and major depression (39%).
Anxiety disorders (38.3%), especially social phobia (21.6%), and psychoactive
substance abuse (40.8%), especially alcohol abuse (30%), were reported as well.
Cocaine abuse was statistically significantly associated with PA males (p=.03).
There was a statistically significant correlation between the lifetime prevalence of
Axis I nonsexual diagnoses and hypersexual diagnoses (PAs and PRDs). The preva-
lence of retrospectively diagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
was 35.8%, the third most prevalent Axis I disorder. ADHD (p=.01), especially
ADHD-combined subtype (p=.009), was statistically significantly associated
with PA status. ADHD was statistically significantly associated with conduct dis-
order, and both of these Axis I disorders were associated with the propensity for
multiple PAs and a higher likelihood of incarceration. When the diagnosis of
ADHD was controlled, the differences reported above between PAs and PRDs
either became statistically nonsignificant or remained as only statistical trends.
1Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts.
2Biostatistics Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts.
3To whom correspondence should be addressed at Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, 115
Mill Street, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478; e-mail: mpkafka@aol.com.
349
1079-0632/02/1000-0349/0 C
°2002 Plenum Publishing Corporation
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350 Kafka and Hennen
Thus, ADHD and its associated developmental sequellae and Axis I comorbidities
was the single most common nonsexual Axis I diagnosis that statistically sig-
nificantly distinguished males with socially deviant sexual arousal (PAs) from a
nonparaphilic hypersexual comparison group (PRDs). Sex offender paraphiliacs
were more likely to be diagnosed with conduct disorder, alcohol abuse, cocaine
abuse, and generalized anxiety disorder. The prevalence of any ADHD in the sex
offender paraphiliacs was 43.3%, and nearly 25% of offenders were diagnosed
with ADHD-combined subtype.
KEY WORDS: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; depression; paraphilias; paraphilia-related
disorder; sex offender; sexual addiction.
INTRODUCTION
Paraphilias (PAs), as operationally defined in DSM-III (American Psychiatric
Association [APA], 1980), DSM-III-R (APA, 1987), and DSM-IV (APA, 1994), are
sexual disorders characterized by repetitive, socially deviant expressions of inten-
sified sexual arousal and associated behaviors. In DSM-IV, paraphilic behaviors
must persist at least 6 months and be accompanied by significant adverse personal
or social consequences to reach the threshold for a psychiatric diagnosis. The
most common PAs are exhibitionism, voyeurism, pedophilia, sexual masochism
and sadism, fetishism, transvestic fetishism, frotteurism, and telephone scatologia.
Incontrast to theparaphilic disorders, agroup of nonparaphilichypersexuality
disorders has also been identified. These nonparaphilic conditions, not yet recog-
nized by a common diagnostic nomenclature, have been designated as nonpara-
philicsexualaddictions (APA,1987;Carnes, 1990), sexualcompulsions(Coleman,
1992), or paraphilia-related disorders (PRDs; Kafka & Hennen, 1999). The major
diagnostic characteristic that distinguishes PAs from PRDs is that PAs are socially
deviant sexual behaviors whereas the latter conditions are persistent disinhibited
forms of socially sanctioned heterosexual and homosexual behavior. Like PAs,
PRDs must be associated with significant distress or impairment and persist for at
least 6 months to meet a diagnostic threshold. In males, the commonly identified
PRDs are compulsive masturbation, pornography dependence, protracted promis-
cuity, telephone sex dependence, and severe sexual desire incompatibility (Kafka
& Hennen, 1999). Recently, an additional PRD, cyber-sex dependence has also
been identified (Cooper, Scherer, Boies, & Gordon, 1999).
There are only a few studies directly comparing PA with PRD males in de-
velopmental difficulties, sexual behaviors, and Axis I comorbidity (Kafka, 1997;
Kafka & Prentky, 1992a, 1994, 1998). In these reports, both of these sexual disor-
der subtypes are characterized by increased and time-consuming sexual fantasies,
urges, and activities (i.e., clinical hypersexuality), similar Axis I comorbid condi-
tions and similar responses to pharmacological intervention (Kafka, 1994, 2000;
Kafka & Prentky, 1992b). In addition, PRDs are prevalent in the longitudinal
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DSM-IV Axis I Comorbidity 351
history of PA males (Black, Kehrberg, Flumerfelt, & Schlosser, 1997; Kafka &
Hennen, 1999; Langevin et al., 1985; Prentky et al., 1989).
Ina seriesof studies examiningAxis Icomorbidity disorders inmale paraphil-
iacs and males with PRDs, the published data clearly suggest that Axis I comorbid
diagnoses are common. In particular, mood disorders, including major depres-
sion, bipolar affective disorder, dysthymic disorder, and anxiety disorders, espe-
cially phobic disorders including social phobia, are frequently diagnosed (Black,
1998; Kafka & Prentky, 1994, 1998; McElroy et al., 1999; Raymond, Coleman,
Ohlerking,Christenson, & Miner,1999).In addition, psychoactivesubstanceabuse
disorders, especially alcohol and cocaine abuse, and impulse disorders not oth-
erwise specified, including the atypical impulse disorders compulsive shopping
(Black, 1998) and reckless driving (Kafka & Prentky, 1998) have been identified
(Black, 1998; Kafka & Prentky, 1994, 1998; McElroy et al., 1999; Raymond et al.,
1999). In some reports, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or conduct
disorderhas beenidentified, particularly in association withmales withsocially de-
viant sexual arousal (Galli et al., 1999; Kafka & Prentky, 1998; Kavoussi, Kaplan,
& Becker, 1988; Vaih-Koch & Bosinski, 1999). The identification of such disor-
ders is potentially important inasmuch as there are clinical data suggesting that
pharmacological treatment addressing Axis I comorbid conditions can ameliorate
PAs and PRDs (Greenberg & Bradford, 1997; Kafka, 2000; Kafka & Hennen,
2000).
Kafka and Prentky (1998) reported that DSM-III-R-defined ADHD (retro-
spectively assessed) and cocaine abuse were statistically significantly more preva-
lent in paraphilic males in comparison to PRDs. In addition, PA males were more
likely than PRD males to report a childhood history of physical/sexual abuse,
lowereducationalachievement,more school-relatedlearning,and behavioralprob-
lems, more extensive involvement with the criminal justice system, a history of
psychiatric hospitalization, and lower current income. In that report (Kafka &
Prentky, 1998), all but one of these variables (the exception being physical/sexual
abuse) were statistically significantly associated with the retrospective diagnosis
of ADHD.
In this study, we extend the previous research by ascertaining the prevalence
of lifetime Axis I disorders in a different and larger sample of PA and PRD males
utilizing DSM-IV criteria. In addition to the evaluation of standard mood, anxiety,
psychoactive substance abuse, psychotic and impulse disorders, NOS disorders,
conduct disorder, ADHD, and its DSM-IV-derived subtypes, were retrospectively
assessed. In this manuscript, the term male hypersexuality disorders is a synony-
mous reference to PAs and PRDs (Kafka, 1997).
Two a priori hypotheses were tested. First, it was hypothesized that PA males
would differ significantly from the PRDs specifically in the same factors identified
in the previous study (see discussion above; Kafka & Prentky, 1998). Second, it
was hypothesized that conduct disorder would be statistically significantly more
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352 Kafka and Hennen
frequently associated with PA status rather than with PRD status and specifically
be associated with sex offender PAs.
METHOD
Data were collected prospectively from 120 consecutively evaluated, volun-
tary outpatient males (age =17–65) seeking treatment for principal diagnoses of
PAs or PRDs. The Axis I diagnostic assessments of males in this sample have
not been reported in any previous studies by this investigator (Kafka & Prentky,
1994, 1998). Informed consent was obtained from all study participants. Exclu-
sion criteria included the presence of a neurological condition or diagnosis, age
greater than 65 years, a history of significant head injury with sustained loss of
consciousness, current psychoactive substance abuse, or noncompliance with the
psychiatric evaluation. The 120 males who completed the diagnostic evaluation
were seeking treatment for either PAs (n=88), including nonoffender paraphilic
(n=28) and sex offender paraphilic (n=60) subgroups, or PRDs (n=32).
All participants completed a semistructured Intake Questionnaire that col-
lected demographic, medical, developmental, and psychiatric treatment data
(Kafka & Prentky, 1994, 1998). The Intake Questionnaire contained an exten-
sive checklist of symptoms designed to detect the lifetime prevalence of DSM-IV
Axis I mood, anxiety, psychoactive substance abuse, impulse NOS, and conduct
disorder (unpublished inventory, available on request).
The retrospective assessment of ADHD and its subtyping were ascertained
utilizing the ADHD Rating Scale (DuPaul, 1991) modified for DSM-IV (Findling,
Schwartz, Flannery, & Manas, 1996) and the Wender Utah Retrospective Scale
(WURS; Ward, Wender, & Reimherr, 1993). The modified ADHD Rating Scale
consists of the 18 diagnostic criteria identified as core symptoms of DSM-IV
ADHD; identifying persistent inattentiveness (six or more of nine-criterion items)
and/or persistent hyperactivity/impulsivity (six- or more of nine-criterion items).
To establish a threshold for the diagnosis of ADHD, participants retrospectively
self-rated each criterion on a 0–3 Severity scale. At least 12 items rated 2, 6 or more
fromboth the inattentivenessdiagnosticcluster and thehyperactive/impulsiveclus-
ter, were required for a retrospective diagnosis of ADHD-combined subtype (APA,
1994; Findling et al., 1996).
The 25-item WURS cumulative score was used to supplement the ADHD
Rating Scale, distinguishing participants with ADHD from controls. The WURS
has excellent concurrent validity. Ward et al. (1993) reported that a WURS score
of 46 or higher correctly identified 86% of the participants with attention deficit
disorder, 99% of the normal controls, and 81% of a comparison group of depressed
participants (Ward et al., 1993). In their group of males with DSM-III-R-defined
ADHD (equivalent to DSM-IV ADHD-combined subtype), the mean WURS score
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DSM-IV Axis I Comorbidity 353
was 60.3±14.2, whereas the mean unipolar depression group score was 34.2±
18.0 and the mean normal group score was 17.9±11.0. It is important to note that
Ward et al. stipulate that the WURS does not “diagnose” ADHD, rather, a score
of 46 is correlated with ADHD-combined subtype.
The lifetime prevalence of Axis I diagnoses were assigned on the basis of two
follow-up psychiatric interviews conducted by the first author, a Board certified
psychiatrist, incorporating data from the Intake Questionnaire.
Lifetime sexual diagnoses (PAs and PRDs) were assessed utilizing semistruc-
tured Sexual Inventories (unpublished inventories, available on request) and the
aforementionedfollow-up interviews (Kafka,1997; Kafka& Hennen, 1999;Kafka
& Prentky, 1994, 1998). For the determination of Axis I diagnoses, the diagnostic
hierarchy and exclusionary rules as described in DSM-IV were maintained with the
following exceptions: (a) dysthymia: primary versus secondary dysthymia were
not differentiated, (b) there was no distinction made between substance abuse
versus substance dependence.
Additional repetitive impulsive behaviors, including speeding/reckless driv-
ing and repetitive theft (not distinguished from kleptomania), were scored as
impulse disorders NOS. Problems associated with reckless driving have been
specifically reported in adults with ADHD (Barkley, Guevremont, Anastoploulos,
DuPaul, & Shelton, 1993; Murphy & Barkley, 1996). Participants diagnosed with
reckless driving had to meet the following criteria: self-assessment as having
driven recklessly repetitively, accompanied by at least two of the following—
multiple speeding tickets, multiple motor vehicle accidents, license suspension or
loss, repetitive “road rage, or forced enrollment in driver’s safety classes. If these
behaviors were predominantly attributed to driving while under the influence of
psychoactive drugs, including alcohol, a reckless driving diagnosis was not scored.
All paraphilic diagnostic categories were assigned utilizing DSM-IV criteria.
PRDs were classified according to criteria previously published by the first author
(Kafka, 1997; Kafka & Hennen, 1999; Kafka & Prentky, 1994, 1998). Males in
the PRD group reported the presence of at least one PRD but no lifetime PAs.
Males in the PA group reported repetitive PA behavior but could also have current
or past PRDs. Sex offender paraphiliacs included all males who had repetitively
engaged in paraphilic behavior that included an unwilling or unsuspecting victim.
This could also include fetishism if paraphilic enactment included repetitive theft
to obtain fetish objects. In this study, sex offender–PA diagnoses included ex-
hibitionism, pedophilia, voyeurism, fetishism, frotteurism, telephone scatologia,
sexual sadism, and rape. Although rape is not currently considered a PA, the males
who committed rape (n=3) all had comorbid paraphilias so their sexual coercion
was included in the paraphilic group. Nonoffender paraphilic diagnoses included
fetishism, transvestic-fetishism, sexual masochism, sexual sadism, and PAs NOS.
Lifetime prevalence rates of DSM-IV Axis I disorders are reported as percent-
ages. Continuous variables are summarized with means and associated standard
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354 Kafka and Hennen
deviations or confidence intervals. The chi-square (χ2) test with associated degrees
of freedom is used to compare prevalence rates among the categorical variables.
When necessitated by small cell frequencies, Fisher’s exact test is used instead
of chi-square. Contrasts of continuous variables are carried out using unpaired,
two-tailed Student ttests for multiple group comparisons. An alpha (p) value
of 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
RESULTS
The developmental and demographic characteristics of the sample are re-
ported in Table I. The typical participant was a 37-year-old, white, married male
whohad graduated fromcollege (completed 16years of education)and was earning
a middle-class income (mean =$58,200). Slightly more than half of the partic-
ipants (51.6%) reported some lifetime contact with the criminal justice system
(e.g., arrest, incarceration), although this contact was not necessarily exclusively
associated with sex offending behaviors. Nearly 41% (49/120) of the sample had
Table I. Developmental and Demographic Variables in a Sample of Males With Paraphilias and
Paraphilia-Related Disorders
Combined sample PA sample PRD sample
Variable nMean ±SD %nMean ±SD %nMean ±SD %
Sample size 120 88 32
Age 37.1±9.536.9±10.237.5±7.4
Ethnicity
Caucasian 117 97.5 86 97.7 31 96.8
Marital history
Ever married 65 54.1 50 56.8 15 46.8
Abuse history
Any abuse 32 26.6 26 29.5 6 18.7
Physical16 13.3 15 17.0 1 3.1
Sexual 21 17.5 16 18.1 5 15.6
Both 5 4.1 5 5.6 0 0
Educational history
Years completed∗∗∗ 15.7±3.215.2±3.317.1±2.7
Years completed (median) 16 16 17
Any school problem∗∗∗ 39 32.5 36 40.9 3 9.3
Truancy17 14.1 16 18.1 1 3.1
Repeated grade 24 20.0 21 23.8 3 9.3
Suspended/expelled∗∗∗ 27 22.5 27 30.6 0 0.0
Employment history
Current income ($1000s) 58.2±47.352.6±48.271.6±42.9
Currently employed 97 80.8 68 77.2 29 90.6
Unemployed/disabled16 13.3 15 18.0 1 3.3
Criminal justice history
Ever arrested∗∗∗ 60 50.0 54 61.3 6 18.7
Ever incarcerated∗∗ 15 12.5 15 17.0 0 0.0
Psychiatric hospitalization?∗∗ 23 19.1 22 25.0 1 3.1
p.05. ∗∗ p.01. ∗∗∗ p.005.
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DSM-IV Axis I Comorbidity 355
been arrested for inappropriate sexual behavior. About one quarter (26.6%) of the
sample reported a history of physical or sexual abuse, and almost one third (32.5%)
reported significant school-associated learning (e.g., repeated grades) or behavior
problem (e.g., truancy, suspension/expulsion from primary or secondary school).
The PA group was statistically significantly different from the PRDs in the
incidence of physical abuse (χ2=3.9,df =1,p=.04), educational achieve-
ment (years of education completed; t=2.9,df =118,p=.004), and the pres-
ence of school-associated learning/behavioral problems, including truancy (χ2=
4.3,df =1,p=.03), suspension/expulsion (χ2=12.6,df =1,p=.004) and a
trend (PA >PRD) was reported for repeated grades (χ2=3.0,df =1,p=.07).
The PA group also reported a statistically significantly higher incidence of
psychiatric/substance abuse hospitalization (χ2=7.2,df =1,p=.007) and an
increased prevalence of current unemployment or disability status (χ2=3.9,df =
1,p=.04). There was a statistical trend indicating that the currently employed
PAs had a lower current income (t=1.8,df =94,p=.07) in comparison to the
employed PRDs. Last, the PA males self-reported statistically significantly more
lifetime contact with the criminal justice system, including both arrests (χ2=
17.0,df =1,p=.0001) and incarceration (χ2=6.2,df =1,p=.01). The PA
and PRD groups did not differ significantly in the prevalence of sexual abuse
(18.1% vs. 15.6%).
The distribution of the sexual diagnoses in the combined sample is listed in
Table II. The mean number of lifetime hypersexual disorders (PAs +PRDs) in the
sample was 3.3±1.7 (median =3). In the PA group, 73.8% (65/88) males had
at least one PRD, most commonly compulsive masturbation. The PA group had
statisticallysignificantly more lifetimehypersexual disorders thanthe PRDs (3.5±
1.8 vs. 2.7±0.9; t=2.3,df =118,p=.02). On the other hand, the PRD group
reported statistically significantly more lifetime PRD diagnoses (2.7±0.9 vs.
1.8±1.2; t=3.4,df =118,p=.0008).
The Axis I lifetime diagnoses of the sample are listed in Table III, both for the
PA and PRD groups as well as the combined sample. Nine percent of the sample,
all from the PRD group, reported no lifetime nonsexual Axis I disorders, a statis-
tically significant difference (PA vs. PRD: χ2=4.4,df =1,p=.03). Although
the participants in the PA group were diagnosed with more lifetime nonsexual
Axis I disorders in comparison with the PRDs, the difference was nearly statisti-
cally significant with a pvalue at a trend (p=.07). In the combined sample, there
was a robust statistical correlation between the lifetime total Axis I nonsexual and
Axis I sexual diagnoses (Spearman correlation coefficient Z=3.9,p=.0001).
In both groups, the most prevalent Axis I disorders were mood disorders
(71.6%),especiallydysthymic disorder (69.1%).Fifty-fivepercentof the combined
sample reported dysthymic disorder, early onset subtype; this was the single most
prevalent Axis I condition. Thirty-nine percent reported at least a single episode
of major depression, the second most common diagnosis. The PA and PRD groups
did not differ in the lifetime prevalence of any specific mood disorder diagnosis.
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356 Kafka and Hennen
Table II. Sexual Diagnoses in 120 Outpatient Males With Paraphilias
and Paraphilia-Related Disorders
Sexual diagnoses n%
Sample size 120
Paraphilic disorders
Exhibitionism 32 26.6
Voyeurism 19 15.8
Pedophilia, any 20 16.6
Opposite sex 9 7.5
Homosexual 7 5.8
Bisexual 1 0.8
Incestuous 3 2.5
Telephone scatologia 15 12.5
Transvestistic fetishism 13 10.8
Masochism 13 10.8
Frotteurism 11 9.1
Fetishism 10 8.3
PA NOS 6 5.0
Sadism 5 4.1
Rape 3 2.5
Paraphilia-related disorders
Compulsive masturbation 87 72.5
Pornography dependence 57 47.5
Protracted promiscuity 53 44.1
Hetero- 25 20.8
Homo- 18 15.0
Bisexual 10 8.3
Telephone sex 30 25.0
Sex desire incompatibility 16 13.3
PRD NOS 9 7.5
Participants in the combined sample diagnosed with lifetime major depression or
dysthymic disorder were statistically significantly more likely to self-report more
lifetime hypersexual diagnoses compared to those without these mood disorder
diagnoses(major depression:t=2.3,df =118,p=.02; dysthymicdisorder: t=
2.7,df =118,p=.006).
Anxiety disorders were reported by 38.3% of the combined sample. The most
prevalent lifetime anxiety disorder was social phobia (21.6%), followed by gener-
alized anxiety disorder (9.1%). The PA and PRD groups were not statistically sig-
nificantly different in the incidence of any specific anxiety disorder, although there
was a statistical trend (p=.07) for the PA group to report obsessive–compulsive
disorder (9% vs. 0.0%) more frequently. Posttraumatic stress disorder, diagnosed
in only 5.8% of the combined sample, was significantly associated with a de-
velopmental history of physical or sexual abuse (χ2=13.2,df =1,p=.0003).
No specific anxiety disorder diagnosis was associated with multiple hypersexual
disorders.
A lifetime psychoactive substance abuse diagnosis was reported by 40.8% of
thecombinedsample. Alcoholabuse,themostprevalentsubstance abuse diagnosis,
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DSM-IV Axis I Comorbidity 357
Table III. Lifetime Axis I Diagnoses in a Sample of Males With Paraphilias and Paraphilia-Related
Disorders
Combined sample PA sample PRD sample
Variable nMean ±SD %nMean ±SD %nMean ±SD %
Sample size 120 88 32
Mean of diagnosesa3.2±2.33.4±2.52.5±1.0
No Axis I disorder11 9.1 11 12.5 0 0.0
Any mood disorder 86 71.6 63 71.5 23 71.8
Dysthymic disorder 83 69.1 61 69.3 22 68.7
Major depression 47 39.1 34 38.6 13 40.6
Bipolar 6 5.0 6 6.8 0 0.0
Any anxiety disorder 46 38.3 34 38.6 12 37.5
Social phobia 26 21.6 18 20.4 8 25.0
GAD 11 9.1 6 6.8 5 15.6
Panic 9 7.5 6 6.8 3 9.3
PTSD 7 5.8 5 5.6 2 6.2
OCD 8 6.6 8 9.0 0 0.0
Any psychoactive 49 40.8 37 42.0 12 37.5
substance abuse
Alcohol 36 30.0 28 31.8 8 25.0
Cocaine17 14.1 16 18.1 1 3.1
Marijuana 22 18.3 16 18.1 6 18.7
Polydrug abuse 23 19.1 18 20.4 5 15.6
Any impulsivity NOS 32 26.6 27 30.6 5 15.6
Reckless driving 25 20.8 21 23.8 4 12.5
Any ADHD∗∗ 43 35.8 37 42.0 6 18.7
Combined subtypea∗∗∗ 22 18.3 21 23.8 1 3.1
Inattentive subtype 21 17.5 16 18.1 5 15.6
Any conduct disorder∗∗∗ 20 16.6 20 22.7 0 0.0
Psychosis 5 4.1 5 5.6 0 0.0
aTwo participants with ADHD hyperactive/impulsive subtype are coded as combined subtype in this
table.
p.05. ∗∗ p.01. ∗∗∗ p.005.
was reported by 30% of the combined sample, followed by marijuana abuse
(18.3%).Of themales withany psychoactive substance abusediagnosis, nearly one
fifth (19.1%) reported polysubstance abuse. The PA group (18.1%) was statisti-
cally significantly more likely than the PRD group (3.1%) to report cocaine abuse
(χ2=4.3,df =1,p=.03). There were no other statistically significant differ-
ences between PAs and PRDs in regards to psychoactive substance abuse diag-
noses. In the combined group, participants with alcohol abuse had statistically sig-
nificantly more lifetime hypersexual disorders (t=1.9,df =118,p=.05) than
did those without alcohol abuse.
Psychotic disorders (including mania with delusions) were reported by only
a small number of males in this sample (4.1%), all within the PA group.
Impulse disorders NOS were reported by more than one quarter of the sam-
ple (26.6%). The most common impulse disorder was reckless driving, reported
by 20.8% (25/120) of the sample. Other impulse disorder NOS conditions were
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358 Kafka and Hennen
relatively uncommon. The PA group did not differ from the PRD group in the
prevalence of any specific impulse NOS disorder. Reckless driving was not as-
sociated with a statistically significant increase in the total number of lifetime
hypersexual disorders diagnosed.
The prevalence of ADHD in the combined sample was 35.8% (43/120), mak-
ing it the third most common Axis I disorder (behind dysthymic disorder and
major depression). The combined subtype (ADHD-C; 18.3% sample prevalence)
and the inattentive subtype (ADHD-I; 17.5% sample prevalence) were nearly
equally represented in the combined sample. ADHD was statistically significantly
more prevalent amongst PA males (42% prevalence) in comparison with PRDs
(18.7%; χ2=5.5,df =1,p=.01). This difference was even more pronounced
in comparing the prevalence of ADHD-C between the groups (23.8% vs. 3.1%;
χ2=6.7,df =1,p=.009). As expected, the mean WURS score of the ADHD
participants was statistically significantly higher in comparison to those partici-
pantswithout ADHD(mean59.2±13.8 vs.26.5±15.2; t=11.5,df =117,p=
.0001). The mean WURS score for the ADHD-I subgroup, however, was not
statistically significantly different from that of the ADHD-C subgroup.
In addition to ADHD, conduct disorder (combined sample prevalence rate of
16.6%) was statistically significantly more prevalent amongst PA males (20/88;
22.7%) in comparison to PRDs (0/32, 0.0%; χ2=8.7,df =1,p=.003).
Inasmuch as ADHD was both a prevalent diagnosis and a diagnosis that
distinguished PA from PRD males, additional statistical testing on demographic,
developmental, Axis I and sexual disorders was performed comparing males with
ADHD (n=43) to those with no-childhood history of that diagnosis (n=77).
Compared to participants without ADHD, males with/without a retrospective di-
agnosis of ADHD did not differ in age or marital status. In comparison to the non-
ADHD group, the ADHD group was statistically significantly more likely to report
any physical or sexual abuse (χ2=3.8,df =1,p=.05), although this difference
was not specific for either physical or sexual abuse alone. Males with ADHD com-
pleted less education (14.1±2.8 vs. 16.6±3.1 years; t=4.2,df =118,p=
.0001), reported more school-related behavioral problems such as truancy (χ2=
18.6,df =1,p=.0001), suspension/expulsion (χ2=26.6,df =1,p=.0001),
and repeated grades (χ2=6.6,df =1,p=.01). Also, in comparison to non-
ADHD males, ADHD males reported a lower current income (39.0±23.3 vs.
66.1±52.3 thousand dollars/year; t=2.6,df =94,p=.01) were less likely to
be currently employed (χ2=7.7,df =1,p=.005) and more likely to be cur-
rently unemployed or disabled (χ2=6.4,df =1,p=.01). ADHD males were
statistically significantly more likely to report encounters with the criminal jus-
tice system, including being arrested (χ2=8.1,df =1,p=.004) and incarcer-
ated (χ2=10.4,df =1,p=.001). Last, ADHD males were statistically signifi-
cantly more likely to report a history of psychiatric/substance abuse hospitalization
(χ2=5.2,df =1,p=.02) than were the non-ADHD participants.
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DSM-IV Axis I Comorbidity 359
Additional statistically significant differences were noted in comparing the
ADHD group to non-ADHD group on variables related to nonsexual Axis I comor-
bidity. Males with ADHD self-reported more lifetime Axis I disorders (t=5.0,
df =118, p=.0001) and were more likely to meet diagnostic criteria for the
following specific Axis I diagnoses: dysthymic disorder (χ2=14.5, df =1, p=
.0001), reckless driving (χ2=10.8, df =1, p=.001), conduct disorder (χ2=
25.2, df =1, p=.0001), polydrug abuse (χ2=7.7, df =1, p=.005), cocaine
abuse(χ2=10.4,df =1, p=.001), marijuana abuse(χ2=4.1,df =1, p=.04)
but not alcohol abuse.
The ADHD group of males was also statistically significantly more likely to
report more lifetime hypersexual disorders (4.1±1.8 vs. 2.8±1.4; t=4.3, df =
118, p=.0001), especially multiple PAs (1.7±1.4 vs. 0.9±0.8; t=4.2, df =
118, p=.0001). ADHD-positive males also reported more lifetime PRDs, but the
difference was not statistically significant (2.3±1.1 vs. 1.9±1.2; t=1.8, df =
118, p=.07). The following hypersexual disorders were specifically associated
with a diagnosis of ADHD: frotteurism (χ2=11.1, df =1, p=.0008), fetishism
(χ2=5.5, df =1, p=.01), paraphilia NOS (χ2=6.1, df =1, p=.01), com-
pulsive masturbation (χ2=6.1, df =1, p=.01), and pornography dependence
(χ2=4.5, df =1, p=.03).
Although conduct disorder was not as prevalent (20/120; 16.6%) as ADHD
(35.8%) in this sample, the statistical association between conduct disorder and
paraphilic status (PA vs. PRD; χ2=8.7,df =1,p=.003) was more robust than
the association between ADHD (p=.01) or ADHD-C (p=.009) and paraphilic
status. Males with conduct disorder, in fact, were statistically significantly more
likely to self-report childhood ADHD, 17/20 males (85%); χ2=25.2,df =1,
p=.0001, especially combined subtype, 11/20 males (55%); χ2=21.5,df =
1,p=.0001, in comparison with inattentive subtype (6/30 males; 30%; χ2=
2.5,df =1,p=.10). As might be expected from the aforementioned comorbid
association between conduct disorder and ADHD, conduct disorder was not only
associated with multiple hypersexual disorders (t=3.2, df =118, p=.001) but
more specifically with multiple PAs (t=4.9, df =118, p=.0001).
When the groups were divided as sex offender paraphiliacs (n=66) ver-
sus nonoffender males (n=22 PAs and 32 PRDs), the sex offenders did not
differ in age, marital status, current employment/disability status, physical or
sexual abuse history, or the total number of lifetime hypersexual or nonsexual
Axis I diagnoses from nonoffender PAs and PRDs. The sex offenders, however,
were statistically different from the nonoffenders in variables related to educa-
tional history, legal history, and incidence of psychiatric hospitalization (F=
6.4,df =1,118,p=.01). Sex offenders achieved fewer years of completed edu-
cation (14.6±3.2 vs. 17.0±2.7; F=19.0,df =1,118,p=.0001), were more
likely to repeat a grade (F=4.9,df =1,118,p=.02), or be suspended/expelled
from school (F=14.1,df =1,118,p=.0003). As would be expected, they
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360 Kafka and Hennen
were significantly more likely to be arrested (p=.0001) or incarcerated (p=
.0001) for a sexual offense. The Axis I disorders that were statistically signifi-
cantly more prevalent amongst sex offender paraphiliacs included conduct dis-
order (χ2=11.8,df =1,p=.0006), generalized anxiety disorder (χ2=3.7,
df =1,p=.05), alcohol abuse (χ2=4.3,df =1,p=.03), and cocaine abuse
(χ2=3.6,df =1,p=.05). There was only a statistical trend (p=.09) associ-
ation between ADHD and sex offending paraphilias, and there was no specific
association between sex offending diagnoses and ADHD subtypes. This lack of a
specific association between ADHD and nonoffender status, however, is mediated
by the nearly equal prevalence of ADHD in nonoffender paraphiliacs (39.2%) in
comparison to offender paraphiliacs (43.3%). Nearly one quarter of sex offenders
(15/66; 22.7%) were diagnosed with ADHD-C. As was the case for PA males
(which includes sex offender PAs), there was a statistical trend for sex offend-
ers to report physical abuse (χ2=2.9,df =1,p=.08), but not sexual abuse in
comparison to nonoffenders.
Inasmuch as many of the aforementioned statistically significant differences
distinguishing PAs from PRDs are also characteristic of the ADHD subgroup, a
recomparison of the statistically significant differences between PAs and PRDs
controlling for the diagnosis of ADHD (PA, n=51; PRD, n=26) was also car-
ried out. The purpose of this reexamination was to determine to what degree the
identified differences between PAs and PRDs could be mediated by the presence
of childhood ADHD.
In this comparison, there were no statistical differences in age, ethnicity,
marital status, abuse history, or current income between PAs and PRDs after con-
trolling for the presence/absence of childhood ADHD. There were only statistical
trends suggesting that PA males were more likely to be disabled/unemployed
(χ2=3.3,df =1,p=.06) and to have been psychiatrically hospitalized (χ2=
2.9,df =1,p=.08). Education-related differences between PAs and PRDs were
reduced to trends suggesting that the PA males might be disadvantaged by less ed-
ucation completed (t=1.8,df =75,p=.07) and the presence of school-related
behavioral problems such as suspension/expulsion (χ2=3.3,df =1,p=.06).
Problems involving the criminal justice system, such as having been arrested for
any offense, remained statistically significant (χ2=7.2,df =1,p=.007). It is
of interest, however, that the prevalence of incarceration in PA males was no longer
statistically significant (p=.14).
Controlling for the diagnosis of childhood ADHD had similar effects in re-
ducingthe statisticallysignificant differencesbetween PAand PRD groups on vari-
ables associated with Axis I comorbidity. After controlling for childhood ADHD,
the PA group no longer reported statistically significantly more lifetime Axis I
diagnoses, conduct disorder or cocaine abuse (χ2=2.7,df =1,p=.09). On
sexuality-related variables, the PA group was not statistically significantly dif-
ferent from the PRDs in the total number of lifetime hypersexual disorders, but
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DSM-IV Axis I Comorbidity 361
the PRD group was still more likely to report more PRDs in comparison to PAs
(t=3.6,df =75,p=.0005).
DISCUSSION
In this sample of 120 consecutively evaluated males with PAs (n=88) and
PRDs (n=32), the most common hypersexual disorders were the PRDs compul-
sive masturbation (72.5% sample prevalence), pornography dependence (47.5%),
andprotracted promiscuity(44.1%) and thePAs,especiallyexhibitionism(26.6%),
pedophilia (16.6%), and voyeurism (15.8%). The frequency distribution of these
sexual diagnoses is consistent with previous data from Axis I comorbidity studies
by this investigator utilizing other samples (Kafka & Prentky, 1994, 1998). The PA
groupself-reported morelifetimehypersexual disorders butthe PRDs self-reported
more lifetime PRDs.
The PA group differed significantly from the PRD group in demographic and
developmental variables including the incidence of physical abuse (p=.04) but
not sexual abuse, lower educational achievement (p=.004), and the presence
of school-associated behavior problems such as truancy (p=.004) and suspen-
sion/expulsion (p=.004). The PA group was significantly more likely to report
a history of psychiatric/substance abuse hospitalization (p=.007) and contact
with the criminal justice system, including arrest (p=.0001) and incarceration
(p=.01). Last, PA males had current unemployment/disability status ( p=.04)
and a trend toward lower current earnings (p=.07). These statistical differences
between PA and PRD males are the same as those reported in a previous compar-
ative study that included the retrospective diagnosis of DSM-III-R-defined ADHD
(Kafka & Prentky, 1998).
The most commonly diagnosed comorbid DSM-IV Axis disorders were mood
disorders (71.6% lifetime prevalence) especially dysthymic disorder early onset
subtype (55%) and major depression (39.1%). Psychoactive substance abuse was
diagnosed in 40.8% of the participants, and alcohol abuse (30%) was the most
prevalent substance abuse disorder in this sample. Any anxiety disorder was diag-
nosed in 39.1% of the sample, and social phobia (21.6%) was the most common
anxiety disorder diagnosis. Impulsivity NOS disorders were diagnosed in 26.6%
of the sample, but this prevalence was predominantly accounted for by the inclu-
sion of an atypical impulsivity disorder, reckless driving (20.8%). In all of the
aforementioned categories, the only diagnosis that was statistically significantly
more prevalent amongst the PA group in comparison to PRDs was cocaine abuse
(p=.03).The frequencydistributionof the majoraforementioned Axis Idisorders
is very similar to the frequency distribution of Axis I disorders reported utilizing
DSM-III-R criteria in comparing PA to PRD males in some prior reports (Kafka
& Prentky, 1994, 1998). In addition, there was a robust significant correlation
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362 Kafka and Hennen
between lifetime number of nonsexual and sexual Axis I disorders. That is, males
with the fewest Axis I nonsexual disorders were more likely to also be diagnosed
with fewer hypersexual disorders.
By extending the boundaries of impulsivity disorders to include ADHD (sam-
ple prevalence 35.8%) and conduct disorder (16.6%) as well, these latter diagnoses
were statistically significantly more prevalent (p=.01; p=.003 respectively)
in the PA group than in the PRD group. When ADHD was subdivided into its
two major DSM-IV-derived subtypes, inattentive and combined, it was the com-
bined subtype but not the inattentive subtype that was most commonly associated
with both persistent socially deviant sexual arousal (PA status; p=.009), con-
duct disorder (p=.0001), and multiple hypersexual disorders (p=.0004), in
particular, multiple paraphilias (p=.0001). The comorbid association between
ADHD and conduct disorder has been reported by several investigators, and this
comorbid association also predicts more severe comorbid psychopathologies in-
cluding antisocial behavior, conduct disorder, and polysubstance abuse (Abikoff
& Klein, 1992; Lynam, 1996; Schubiner et al., 2000b). In this study, frotteurism
(p=.0008), fetishism (p=.01), paraphilia NOS (p=.01), and the PRDs com-
pulsive masturbation (p=.01) and pornography dependence (p=.03) were sta-
tistically significantly associated with a retrospective diagnosis of ADHD.
Sexoffender paraphiliacs differedfrom nonoffenderPA and PRD malesin de-
mographic/developmental variables, such as lower educational achievement, more
school-associated behavioral problems, an increased incidence of psychiatric hos-
pitalizationand, as expected,morearrestsand incarcerationsassociatedwith sexual
behavior. Sex offender paraphiliacs were similar to nonoffender PAs/PRDs on all
other demographic/developmental variables included in this study. Sex offender
PAs were specifically more likely to report conduct disorder ( p=.0006), gen-
eralized anxiety disorder (p=.05), cocaine abuse (p=.05), and alcohol abuse
(p=.03) but not ADHD, including ADHD-combined subtype. It is noteworthy,
however, that 43.3% of sex offender paraphiliacs were retrospectively diagnosed
with any ADHD and that nearly 25% were diagnosed with ADHD-combined
subtype.
Inasmuch as ADHD was the third most prevalent lifetime Axis I diagnosis
and had been previously reported specifically associated with PA status, a stratified
reanalysis of the sample excluding those with ADHD was undertaken (n=77).
Withthisstratification, almostallof thereported statistically significantdifferences
between PAs and PRDs no longer attained statistical significance criteria (although
several remained as statistical trends). The only statistically significant differences
distinguishing PAs from PRDs that remain after such an reanalysis were that PAs
were still more likely to have been arrested and have fewer lifetime PRDs. Thus,
in this sample of 120 hypersexual males, the presence of DSM-IV ADHD was the
most frequently diagnosed Axis I disorder that distinguished socially deviant (PA)
fromnonparaphilic sexual arousal(PRD)and accounted forthe major demographic
and developmental variables that distinguished the PA from the PRD group.
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DSM-IV Axis I Comorbidity 363
Perhapsbecause of apaucity of contemporaryempiricaldata describingAxisI
comorbidity in male sex offenders, there has been no integration of these diag-
nostic data into actuarial models of risk assessment. From the available studies
however, (combined n300 male adolescent and adult sex offenders (Galli et al.,
1999; Kafka & Prentky, 1994, 1998; Kavoussi et al., 1988; McElroy et al., 1999),
Raymond et al., 1999; Vaih-Koch & Bosinski, 1999), mood disorders, and impul-
sivity disorders (ADHD and conduct disorder) have been repetitively identified as
prevalent in male sex offenders. These diagnoses could be significant contributing
variables associated with both static and dynamic risk factors associated with sex
offender recidivism (e.g., antisocial impulsivity, sexual deviance, sexual preoc-
cupation, lower educational achievement, and multiple PAs; Hanson & Bussiere,
1998; Hanson & Harris, 2000).
Dysthymic disorder and ADHD can be easily overlooked during the psychi-
atric assessment of adults, yet both are treatment-responsive conditions, in partic-
ular, amenable to pharmacotherapy. Last, it is possible that the underrecognition
and lack of treatment of concurrent Axis I comorbidity in sex offenders could be
associated with treatment disengagement, a dynamic risk factor associated with
sex offender recidivism (Hanson & Harris, 2000). Based on these data, systematic
and thorough psychiatric evaluation of all sex offenders appears warranted and the
identification and treatment of comorbid Axis I disorders, in particular, appears
justified.
There are several methodological limitations associated with the conclusions
reported here. First, the diagnosis of ADHD in adults was retrospective and did not
include informants other than the study participants. Some authors have noted that
maleswith ADHDcan have poor self-observationalskills(Mannuzza &Gittelman,
1985), whereas others have reported that adults can retrospectively self-rate child-
hood ADHD accurately (Murphy & Schachar, 2000). No corroborative current
neuropsychological testing was performed to assess residual inattention or im-
pulsivity in these participants and study participants, at a mean age of 37 years,
were expected to reliably recall childhood domestic and school-associated behav-
iors. Despite these limitations, the diagnosis of ADHD in this sample was derived
by utilizing validated diagnostic and correlative rating scales and the retrospec-
tive diagnosis of ADHD was associated with many of the vicissitudes that have
been reported as sequellae to ADHD, with these sequellae including learning and
school-associated problems, polydrug abuse, mood disorders, conduct disorder,
and reckless driving (Barkley et al., 1993; Biederman et al., 1993, 1995; Eyestone
& Howell, 1994; Mannuza, Klein, Bessler, Malloy, & LaPadula, 1993; Mannuza
et al., 1991; Schubiner et al., 2000a).
Second, this study did not utilize validated structured diagnostic instruments
to assess Axis I comorbidity and instead relied on self-report and an Intake Ques-
tionnaire assessing symptoms and syndromes as defined by DSM-IV. Ultimately,
the primary investigator (the first author) in collaboration with the participant
and the Inventory data ascertained diagnostic categories and thresholds. The
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364 Kafka and Hennen
veridicality of Axis I diagnoses derived in this manner could thus be compro-
mised by the possible bias of the primary investigator.
Third, there are no rating instruments with documented validity and reliability
availabletodiagnose bothPAsandall PRDs. Althoughthis investigatorhas utilized
these Sexual Inventories in previous studies, ascertainment bias regarding sexual
diagnoses reported must be considered as a possible limitation of the conclusions
reported.
Despite these limitations, it remains certainly plausible that socially deviant
sexual arousal (i.e., PA status) could be correlated with other Axis I comorbid
disorders that have been associated with socially deviant behavior such as mood
disorders, substance abuse, ADHD, and conduct disorder. Inasmuch as ADHDand
early onset dysthymic disorder are significant psychopathologies that can indepen-
dently impact childhood and adolescent development, it has been speculated that
this comorbid combination could have a particularly pernicious effect on develop-
ing male sexuality (Kafka & Prentky, 1998). Such a concurrence could conduce to
increased sexual appetitive behavior, thrill seeking, social deviancy, and impaired
impulsecontrol. Last,the successfulpharmacological treatment of such concurrent
conditions, including ADHD and mood disorders in hypersexual males, has been
reported to significantly ameliorate PAs as well as PRDs (Greenberg & Bradford,
1997; Kafka, 2000; Kafka & Hennen, 2000).
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... [10] Also, they found that voyeurism was 11.5% followed by exhibitionism 4.1% followed by transvestism and sadomachoism. [11] found that the most common paraphilic interest was voyeurism 34% followed by exhibitionism 31% then fetishism and frotteurism 26%. They were higher when compared to our results. ...
... They were higher when compared to our results. Also, they reported that the internet survey generated significantly higher rate of acknowledgement of experience with voyeurism, fetishism exhibitionism frotteurism and masochism than telephone Joyal and Carpenter, [11] prevalence of paraphilic experience was lower than paraphilic desire with less than 10% (tab3,4). Joyal and Carpenter, [11] found in their analysis that paraphilic interests predicted corresponding behaviors. ...
... Also, they reported that the internet survey generated significantly higher rate of acknowledgement of experience with voyeurism, fetishism exhibitionism frotteurism and masochism than telephone Joyal and Carpenter, [11] prevalence of paraphilic experience was lower than paraphilic desire with less than 10% (tab3,4). Joyal and Carpenter, [11] found in their analysis that paraphilic interests predicted corresponding behaviors. They added that paraphilic interests and corresponding behaviors were all positive and significant, ranging from 40% to 71% .concordance ...
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Background: The Paraphilia now around the world occupy an important position in medicine. Term “paraphilia” (from the Greek “para,” meaning “beside, aside,” and “philia,” meaning “love”) is currently used in psychiatry to define “anomalous” sexual interests. Objectives: Studying prevalence of paraphilic behaviors and interests in a sample of 200 males and 200 females in the population aged from (18 – 45). Methods: Communication was done with different online groups and sites to conduct this cross sectional study. These aimed to orient them about the aim and procedures of the study and explained its benefits. Admins of these groups were helpful but refused to put the name of the groups in the work. admins collected the answered questionnaire to protect identity and privacy of respondents. This study was approved by ethical committee of the Faculty of Medicine Menoufia University. Results: The overall prevalence of paraphilic behavior experience was found 21% with prevalence significantly higher in men than women. The most common paraphilic experience was frotteurism then voyeurism followed by fetishism then pedophilia. Conclusion: It was concluded that paraphilia is not an uncommon behavior in our community. It exists in both sexes but higher among men.
... Kafka and Prentky (1994) assessed a sample of 26 men seeking treatment for a principal diagnosis of paraphilia-related CSBD and found that 80.8% qualified for a co-occurring mood disorder and 46.2% for a co-occurring anxiety disorder. Comparably, pronounced co-occurrence rates were also reported by Kafka and Hennen (2002) in another sample of 32 men with CSBD. In that latter study, all included participants could be diagnosed with at least one additional axis I disorder, and 68.7% were diagnosed with dysthymic disorder, 40.6% with major depression, 25% with social phobia, and 15.6% with generalised anxiety disorder (Kafka and Hennen 2002). ...
... Comparably, pronounced co-occurrence rates were also reported by Kafka and Hennen (2002) in another sample of 32 men with CSBD. In that latter study, all included participants could be diagnosed with at least one additional axis I disorder, and 68.7% were diagnosed with dysthymic disorder, 40.6% with major depression, 25% with social phobia, and 15.6% with generalised anxiety disorder (Kafka and Hennen 2002). ...
... CSB also frequently co-occurs with substance-use disorders (SUDs). In the study of Kafka and Hennen (2002), more than 40% of patients with CSB were diagnosed with an additional SUD, while alcohol use disorder was found most frequently (see Reid and Meyer (2016) for a review on co-occurring SUDs in CSB patients). However, only the abuse of cocaine was observed more commonly in men with CSB compared to men with paraphilias (Kafka and Hennen 2002). ...
Article
Objectives The current guidelines aim to evaluate the role of pharmacological agents in the treatment of patients with compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD). They are intended for use in clinical practice by clinicians who treat patients with CSBD. Methods An extensive literature search was conducted using the English-language-literature indexed on PubMed and Google Scholar without time limit, supplemented by other sources, including published reviews. Results Each treatment recommendation was evaluated with respect to the strength of evidence for its efficacy, safety, tolerability, and feasibility. Psychoeducation and psychotherapy are first-choice treatments and should always be conducted. The type of medication recommended depended mainly on the intensity of CSBD and comorbid sexual and psychiatric disorders. There are few randomised controlled trials. Although no medications carry formal indications for CSBD, selective-serotonin-reuptake-inhibitors and naltrexone currently constitute the most relevant pharmacological treatments for the treatment of CSBD. In cases of CSBD with comorbid paraphilic disorders, hormonal agents may be indicated, and one should refer to previously published guidelines on the treatment of adults with paraphilic disorders. Specific recommendations are also proposed in case of chemsex behaviour associated with CSBD. Conclusions An algorithm is proposed with different levels of treatment for different categories of patients with CSBD.
... We found the significant correlation of the VRT effect with the STABLE-2007 to be driven by the factors "Sexual Deviance" and "Hypersexuality." "Hypersexuality" or an increase of sexual behavioral outlets thereby has been found to be a frequent feature of the paraphilias in general and in individuals with pedohebephilia specifically (Gerwinn et al., 2018;Kafka & Hennen, 2002). The correlations with factors of the STABLE-2007 associated with deviant sexuality (convergent validity) but not with antisociality (divergent validity) thus corroborate the relevance of the VRT as a diagnostic tool for the motivating sexual preference rather than facilitating antisociality (Seto, 2017). ...
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Diagnosing pedohebephilia is fraught with obstacles given the tabooed nature of this sexual preference. The viewing reaction time effect (VRT) provides a non-intrusive indirect measure of sexual interest in minors. In forensic populations, the ability of the difference between the latencies while viewing child and adult sexual stimuli (VRT index) to discern child sexual offenders from a range of control groups has been ascertained meta-analytically. Given that the effect has been studied almost exclusively in forensic samples, its dependence or independence on prior overt (deviant) sexual behavior remains unclear. The present study sought to examine the relationship of prior sexual and non-sexual behaviors with the VRT in a sample of 282 self-referring, help-seeking men with and without pedohebephilia with and without a history of prior child sexual offenses (CSO) or a use of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) recruited outside a forensic context. We found that (1) the clinical diagnosis of pedohebephilia but not prior CSO or CSAM showed a significant association with the VRT index; (2) the discriminatory ability of the VRT index did not differ significantly between samples with and without a history of prior overt sexual behavior with children; (3) the VRT index correlated positively with a behavioral marker of pedohebephilia in a subsample of individuals with prior judicially detected or undetected overt sexual behavior with children; and (4) in the same subsample, the VRT index correlated positively with markers of sexual interests in minors or hypersexuality but not of antisociality. Equivalence testing failed to refute a potential effect of prior sexual behavior on the VRT index. Our study showed that the VRT may provide an unintrusive diagnostic tool for pedohebephilia. The effect of prior overt sexual behavior with children needs further examination.
... 35 Finally, hypersexuality is a known comorbidity in individuals with paraphilic disorders. 40 It is also an empirically supported risk factor for the etiology of sexual offending behaviors and is considered a motivational factor in CSEM-related offenses. 32,23 Consistent with the idea that hypersexuality plays a role in online sexual offending, nearly half of our sample showed symptoms of hypersexual disorder, with pornography dependence being the most prevalent at a rate of 30%. ...
Article
Objective Despite the growing body of research on individuals convicted of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM), relatively little is known about the prevalence of mental disorders in this population. The aim of the present study was to describe the prevalence of mental disorders among individuals convicted of CSEM offenses. Methods This cross-sectional study examined data from 66 individuals serving a sentence for CSEM offenses in the Austrian prison system who underwent a clinical assessment between 2002 and 2020. Diagnoses were based on the German version of the Structured Clinical Interview for Axis I and Axis II disorders. Results In the total sample, n = 53 individuals (80.3%) were diagnosed with a mental disorder. Twenty-seven individuals (40.9%) had an Axis I disorder and n = 47 (71.2%) had an Axis II disorder. More than two-thirds of the sample, n = 47 (71.2%), had a personality disorder diagnosis, with cluster B personality disorders being the most frequent mental disorders. More than half of the sample, n = 43 (65.2%), had a diagnosis of pedophilic disorder, of which n = 9 (13.6%) were of the exclusive type. Twenty-eight persons (42.4%) showed evidence of a hypersexual disorder. Conclusions In line with previous research, the present sample of convicted CSEM offenders showed a comparatively high prevalence of personality disorders and paraphilic disorders, particularly pedophilic disorders. Additionally, the rate of hypersexual disorder symptoms was considerably high. These findings should be considered for the development of successful risk management strategies for this population.
... At the same time, a high HA score represents a tendency to be easily worried, fearful, shy, and tired according to Cloninger [39]. This would fit the profile of individuals with ADHD with a predominantly inattentive subtype [60], which is the most represented subtype in individuals with AS-ADHD comorbidity [61][62][63]. Finally, the personality profile of patients with SA appears to be marked by low levels of NS and HA [64]. ...
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Introduction: Since the first description of sex addiction (SA) by Carnes, research on this problematic behaviour has continued to grow, and the association with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) appears to be frequent. This study aimed to estimate the frequency of a history of probable ADHD in a population of patients with SA and to explore the factors associated with it. Methods: One hundred 85 patients referred to the Nantes University Hospital for SA between 2011 and 2020 were included. Patients completed the Sexual Addiction Screening Test (SAST) or its revised version (SAST-R) to establish the presence of SA. As the SAST-R was not validated in French, we conducted a validation study for the French version. ADHD was screened using the Wender-Utah Rating Scale in childhood and the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale in adulthood. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with the presence of a history of probable ADHD. Results: Childhood ADHD was identified in 36% of patients with SA. Factors associated with the presence of a history of probable ADHD were a low education level, an earlier age of onset of problematic sexual behaviour, another addictive disorder, an anxiety disorder, impulsivity (high negative urgency score), and high scores on harm avoidance and novelty-seeking temperament scales. Furthermore, the French version of the SAST-R displayed good psychometric properties, especially excellent sensitivity. Conclusion: The frequency of a history of probable ADHD among patients with SA is consistent with the literature and close to the highest range. Specific personality traits in patients with both SA and a history of probable ADHD could induce lasting problems of adaptation, which may precipitate the development of SA or maintain it.
... Paraphilia is often comorbid with mood disorders, especially dysthymia (55%) and major depressive disorder (39%), and substance use disorder (40.8%) [3]. However, childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is the only DSM-IV axis I disorder significantly associated with paraphilias [4]. ...
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Background Paraphilias are recurrent and arousing fantasies, thoughts, and behaviors that cause distress to sufferers and surrounding people. This case report details the challenge of managing multiple paraphilias with compulsive sexual behavior. Case presentation A 48-year-old Malay man presented with compulsive sexual behavior, encompassing voyeuristic, frotteurism, and exhibitionistic behavior, increasing progressively over the years, with accompanying overvalued ideas of erotomania. Despite the high level of dysfunction occupationally and socially, there were no apparent psychotic, manic, or depressive symptoms. An organic workup was unremarkable, and he was diagnosed with multiple paraphilias. Treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors was commenced, and psychologically he was managed with techniques specific to compulsive sexual behavior. Conclusion Though rare in the literature, both paraphilic disorders and compulsive sexual behaviors are very distressing to sufferers and their families alike, and thorough biopsychological investigations are essential to ensure reversible causes are not overlooked.
... Moreover, a PD NOS, conduct disorder and intellectual disability are possible as the primary diagnosis. Because a psychotic disorder is quite uncommon in individuals with a paraphilic disorder (Kafka & Hennen, 2002), no comorbid psychotic disorder was diagnosed. Compared to other classes, the HKT-R scores are lower in all domains. ...
Article
Recent research emphasizes the importance of personalized treatment in forensic psychiatry. However, the heterogeneity of forensic patients regarding psychopathology, offenses and risk and protective factors makes it difficult to provide personalized treatment. To facilitate the treatment indication process, previous research has developed patient profiles with corresponding treatment trajectories to compare individual patients with more homogeneous groups. The current study applied latent class analysis in 399 high-security patients in the two Forensic Psychiatric Centres in Flanders, based on their psychopathology, criminal history and risk and protective factors (Historical Clinical Future - Revised; HKT-R). Five patient profiles were found: the antisocial patient, the psychotic patient with diverse criminal behaviour, the patient with a personality disorder and multiple problems, the psychotic patient with physical violent crimes and the patient with a paraphilic disorder and sexual crimes. Similarities and differences from previous research and the importance to clinical practice and research are discussed.
... A few studies have examined the empirical link between anxiety and the paraphilias. Kafka and Hennen (2002) studied psychiatric comorbidity in outpatient men with paraphilic disorders (n = 88) and men with paraphilia-related disorders (n = 32). Paraphilia-related disorders are conventional sexual behaviors that are disinhibited and considered by the patient as too frequent (e.g., "excessive" masturbation). ...
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Despite a multitude of theoretical views, it is still unclear how individuals develop and sustain paraphilic interests (e.g., sexual attraction to children, interest in non-consensual violence). It is also not clear from these views why many paraphilic interests, and especially many paraphilias and paraphilic disorders, are much more common in men than in women. One possible factor affecting male's higher rate of paraphilias is anxiety, because anxiety can potentiate sexual arousal in men. We speculated that paraphilic interests could develop when feelings of anxiety are recurrently generated by atypical sexual stimuli, and when that anxiety repeatedly potentiates sexual arousal, reinforcing sexual response to atypical stimuli. It follows that men with paraphilic interests are susceptible to anxiety disorders, because an anxiety disorder would facilitate the hypothesized developmental process. We conducted a retrospective file review of 1048 consecutive patients (944 male patients retained for analysis) referred to an outpatient sexual behavior clinic at a psychiatric hospital to investigate the link between paraphilias and anxiety. Male patients with a paraphilia had 1.64 greater odds than male patients without a paraphilia of having been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, but they also had elevated rates of many other types of disorders. Therefore, there does not seem to be a specific link between paraphilias and anxiety in this sample. The discovery of a general link between the paraphilias and psychological disorders in men opens new avenues for studying the developmental origins and consequences of male paraphilic interests.
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Previous research has found some peculiarities in sexual functioning of adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). So far, the prevalence of paraphilias in adults with ADHD is not known. We assessed the prevalence of paraphilic fantasies and behaviors in a sample of 160 adults with ADHD in comparison to 75 adults without ADHD. Furthermore, the association between paraphilias and hypersexuality was evaluated. All participants had to answer several questionnaires online. Both adults with and without ADHD reported high rates of paraphilic sexual fantasies and behaviors. Women without ADHD reported about frotteuristic fantasies more often, while women with ADHD reported about a higher rate of masochistic and fetishistic fantasies. On the other side, men without ADHD had a higher rate of fetishistic fantasies than men with ADHD. Hypersexuality was related to paraphilias in adults with ADHD, however, not in adults without ADHD. Furthermore, temper problems significantly predicted paraphilias in adults with ADHD. Altogether, individuals with ADHD seem to be not more prone to develop and act out paraphilic sexuality than controls. The results of the present study add to the current trend to depathologize paraphilic sexuality in the general as well as in clinical populations.
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Effective intervention with sexual offenders requires the targeting of appropriate risk factors. In this study, information on dynamic (changeable) risk factors was collected through interviews with community supervision officers and file reviews of 208 sexual offense recidivists and 201 nonrecidivists. The recidivists were generally considered to have poor social supports, attitudes tolerant of sexual assault, antisocial lifestyles, poor self-management strategies, and difficulties cooperating with supervision. The overall mood of the recidivists and nonrecidivists was similar, but the recidivists showed increased anger and subjective distress just before reoffending. The dynamic risk factors reported by the officers continued to be strongly associated with recidivism, even after controlling for preexisting differences in static risk factors. The factors identified in the interview data were reflected (to a lesser extent) in the officers' contemporaneous case notes, which suggests that the interview findings cannot be completely attributed to retrospective recall bias.
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A growing number of clients are presenting in therapy with problems related to their on-line sexual habits. Adults who had used the Internet for sexual pursuits at least once ( N = 9,177) completed a 59-item on-line survey. Men and women generally behaved differently, and most (92%) indicated their on-line sexual behaviors were not problematic. Heavy users (8%) reported significant problems typically associated with compulsive disorders. Problems were highly correlated with time spent on-line for sex. Results are discussed in terms of their research and practice implications, including diagnosis and treatment. Recommendations are made for outreach prevention programs and future policies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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The distinguishing and overlapping features of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder (CD) are discussed. Conclusions regarding comorbidity, treatment efficacy, and long-term outcome can be influenced by several factors, including diagnostic procedures and sample characteristics. The need to distinguish between referred and nonreferred samples is particularly crucial when considering treatment and comorbidity issues. The efficacy of psychosocial and pharmacological treatments in ADHD and CD children is reviewed as are the few studies of psychostimulant medication in comorbid youngsters. Suggestions regarding treatment planning and recommendations for treatment and research are described.
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Obtained data from parents and teachers for a large sample of urban school children aged 6 to 12 years on the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Rating Scale, and collected criterion measures (e.g., direct observations of classroom behavior, academic achievement scores) on a smaller subsample. The ADHD Rating Scale was found to be a highly reliable questionnaire with adequate criterion-related validity. Strong differences between boys and girls were evident with respect to the frequency of ADHD symptomatology. The ADHD Rating Scale should be useful as one component of a multimodal assessment approach that would include rating scales surveying both general and specific areas of psychopathology.
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Examined the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder among adults admitted to 2 chemical dependency treatment centers. It was hypothesized that ADHD alone or in combination with conduct disorder would be overrepresented in a population of patients with psychoactive substance use disorders. 201 Ss were selected randomly from 2 chemical dependency treatment centers. 48 (24%) of the Ss were found to meet DSM-IV criteria for ADHD. The prevalence of ADHD was 28% in men (30/106) and 19% in women (18/95). 79 participants (39%) met criteria for conduct disorder, and 34 of these individuals also had ADHD. Overall, individuals with ADHD (compared with those without ADHD) were more likely to have had more motor vehicle accidents. Women with ADHD (in comparison with women without ADHD) had a higher number of treatments for alcohol abuse. Ss with conduct disorder were younger, had a greater number of jobs as adults, and were more likely to repeat a grade in school, have a learning disability, be suspended or expelled from school, have an earlier age at onset of alcohol dependence, and have had a greater number of treatments for drug abuse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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Notes that compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) is driven by anxiety-reduction mechanisms rather than by sexual desire. There are no good national statistics to estimate how many people suffer from paraphilic or nonparaphilic CSB; however, it appears that more men than women have identified themselves as having CSB. CSB may be identified by looking for associated symptoms and illnesses (e.g., anxiety disorders, depression, substance dependence). Difficulties in distinguishing normal sexual variation from CSB are illustrated with case vignettes. CSB has been linked to early childhood trauma or abuse, highly restricted environments regarding sexuality, dysfunctional attitudes toward sex and intimacy, low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Patients who suffer CSB are helped through a combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
takes advantage of a longitudinal study of hyperactive children [with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)] and matched controls to examine some methodological issues pertinent to the assessment of psychiatric disorders in adolescents and young adults one aspect of psychiatric assessment that is of concern . . . is the source used to obtain diagnostic information / to assess the relative merits of the reports of parents and adolescents who had been diagnosed as hyperactive in childhood, we examine whether either source differentiated former patients from controls when information obtained from the other informant was accounted for a second methodological issue concerns the means for assessing psychiatric disorders in adolescents / report our experience using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) . . . in individuals from 16 to 23 yrs of age / [includes discussion questions along with responses by Rachel Gittelman] (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
Compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) is characterized by excessive or poorly controlled sexual thoughts, urges, or behaviors, and was first described over 100 years ago. Although there is little consensus about definition or classification, CSB is generally thought to involve both paraphilic (e.g., pedophilia, voyeurism) and nonparaphilic (e.g., compulsive masturbation) forms. CSB has been estimated to affect as much as 5% of the United States population; 80%-90% of those with CSB are male. Onset occurs in the late teens or early twenties, and the disorder is generally chronic or episodic. Psychiatric comorbidity is common, particularly substance use and mood, anxiety, and personality disorders. Developmental, behavioral, neurobiologic, and sociocultural mechanisms probably play a role in the etiology of CSB and its expression. Treatment has not been well delineated, but individual psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, and 12-step programs may be helpful. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors may help some patients regulate their sexual impulses, while anti-androgens may be helpful in sexually aggressive forms of CSB. (C) Williams & Wilkins 1998. All Rights Reserved.
Article
Alternative psychopharmacological interventions in the treatment of paraphilic disorders have previously been limited. This article briefly reviews previous psychopharmacological treatment as well as more recent therapeutic advances. During the past 5 years there have been 14 case reports or open trials documenting the efficacy of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the treatment of paraphilics. The authors discuss the hypothetical role of serotonin in human sexual behavior and review the results of the efficacy of SSRIs in the treatment of these disorders. The limitations and possible indications of these medications are discussed. Although no double-blind placebo-controlled studies have been completed, the results seem to hold new promise for these alternative medications in the treatment of the paraphilic disorders and, possibly, in individuals with an inappropriately high sexual drive.
Article
The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of specific psychiatric disorders in adolescents who have sexually molested other children. Twenty-two adolescent males (aged 13 to 17 years) who sexually molested a child at least once were evaluated with structured clinical interviews for DSM-III-R axis I disorders. All subjects met lifetime DSM-III-R criteria for pedophilia (with the exception of the age requirement), 21 (95%) for two or more paraphilias, 18 (82%) for a mood disorder (12 [55%] for a bipolar disorder), 12 (55%) for an anxiety disorder, 11 (50%) for a substance use disorder, and 12 (55%) for an impuls-econtrol disorder. Also, 12 (71%) of 17 subjects were diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and 16 (94%) with conduct disorder. We conclude that some adolescent child molesters may have pedophilia or other paraphilias. Other axis I disorders with impulsive features, especially conduct, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, bipolar, and substance use disorders, may also be found in these adolescents.