Unlocking a taboo topic: the sexuality of institutionalized men within a forensic psychiatric facility

ABSTRACT

Inpatients’ sexuality in forensic psychiatric facilities remains a neglected topic. Given these circumstances, it creates barriers that hinder inpatients’ ability to express their sexuality, leading to a poor integration of sexual concerns into inpatient treatments. Inpatients’ sexuality can influence recovery journeys negatively or positively, for example by affecting medication adherence due to sexual side effects, or through the positive effects of having romantic relationships. To better understand inpatients’ needs, this qualitative research explores inpatients’ sexuality in a forensic psychiatric facility. This study aims to describe how inpatients perceive and express their sexuality while also exploring the perceived positive impacts of sexual satisfaction, sexual well-being, and intimacy on their recovery. Nine men hospitalized in a high-security forensic facility took part in an individual interview. Thematic analysis was conducted. Themes, including sexual representations and perceived benefits of sexuality, were gathered from past, present, and future contexts. Findings reveal that inpatients adapt their sexual expression in the face of barriers. Participants, while specifying their sexual needs, indicated an interest in forming a relationship with an intimate partner, seeing potential benefits for themselves and their recovery. Results underscore the need to incorporate a positive form of sexuality in treatment plans considering its positive outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• Forensic psychiatry
• sexuality
• sexual well-being
• recovery
• severe mental illness (SMI)

Acknowledgement

The authors wish to express their gratitude to the healthcare staff who assisted in participant recruitment and to the participants who willingly agreed to take part in the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by a graduate research scholarship awarded to the first author by the Institut universitaire sur les dépendances.