Am J Psychiatry 1981; 138:925-929
Copyright © 1981 by American Psychiatric Association
Dilemmas in the evaluation and management of religious cultists
FG Maleson
Religious cultism defies easy generalizations. Motivating forces behind
cult membership range from brainwashing-like processes to fulfillment of
severe predisposing psychopathological needs; they operate to varying
degrees in different individuals. Thus, the formulation of a rational and
consistent therapeutic strategy may be difficult, particularly for the
clinician inexperienced in this area. Treatment may be further complicated
by parental pressures to adopt a deprogramming therapy model, which risks
the clinician's independence, objectivity, and effectiveness. Two
contrasting case histories highlight these and other evaluation and
treatment dilemmas.
