Quality standard

Quality statement 3: Psychological therapies – antisocial personality disorder

Quality statement

People with antisocial personality disorder are offered group‑based cognitive and behavioural therapies and are involved in choosing the duration and intensity of the therapy.

Rationale

The NICE guideline on antisocial personality disorder recommends psychological therapies for managing and treating the symptoms and behaviours associated with antisocial personality disorder. Group‑based cognitive and behavioural therapies help to address problems such as impulsivity, interpersonal difficulties, and antisocial behaviour, and can help to reduce offending behaviours. Because of the variety of symptoms and the variation in needs, flexible approaches that are responsive to the needs of each person with the disorder are important. Involving people with antisocial personality disorder in decisions about their own care is key for their engagement with treatment.

Quality measures

Structure

a) Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that group‑based cognitive and behavioural therapies are available to people with antisocial personality disorder.

Data source: Local data collection.

b) Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that people with antisocial personality disorder are involved in choosing the duration and intensity of group‑based cognitive and behavioural therapy that they receive.

Data source: Local data collection.

Process

a) Proportion of people with antisocial personality disorder who received group‑based cognitive and behavioural therapy.

Numerator – the number in the denominator who received group‑based cognitive and behavioural therapy.

Denominator – the number of people with antisocial personality disorder.

Data source: Local data collection.

b) Proportion of people with antisocial personality disorder who chose the duration and intensity of group‑based cognitive and behavioural therapy they received.

Numerator – the number in the denominator who chose the duration and intensity of the group‑based cognitive and behavioural therapy they received.

Denominator – the number of people with antisocial personality disorder who received group‑based cognitive and behavioural therapy.

Data source: Local data collection.

Outcome

Evidence from experience surveys and feedback that service users feel actively involved in shared decision‑making.

Data source: Local data collection.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Service providers (mental health trusts) offer people with antisocial personality disorder group‑based cognitive and behavioural therapies that are defined by the service user in terms of duration and intensity.

Healthcare professionals offer people with antisocial personality disorder group‑based cognitive and behavioural therapies that are defined by the service user in terms of duration and intensity.

Commissioners (clinical commissioning groups, NHS England local area teams) commission services that have sufficient resources to provide group‑based cognitive and behavioural therapies for people with antisocial personality disorder that are defined by the service user in terms of duration and intensity. They also ensure that referral pathways are in place for people with antisocial personality disorder to be referred to these services.

People with antisocial personality disorder are offered group therapy that helps them manage their condition. They can choose the length of the sessions, treatment and frequency of the therapy they receive.

Source guidance

Antisocial personality disorder: prevention and management. NICE guideline CG77 (2009, updated 2013), recommendations 1.1.3.1, 1.4.2.1, 1.4.2.2 and 1.4.2.4

Equality and diversity considerations

Consideration should be given to the provision of services for adults within the prison population who present with symptoms of antisocial personality disorder.

Specialist mental health services should ensure that culturally appropriate psychological interventions are provided to people from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and that interventions address cultural and ethnic differences in beliefs regarding biological, social and family influences on mental states and functioning.