Effect of Psychoeducation on Anger Behaviors in Individuals with Antisocial Personality Disorder

Abstract

In this randomized controlled study, the effect of eight sessions of psychoeducation given to individuals with antisocial personality disorder on anger behaviors was examined. The sample of the study consisted of 62 patients with a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, who applied to the psychiatry outpatient clinic of a military hospital, by selecting by simple random sampling method (experimental group=32, control group=30). The data of the study were collected using the Introductory Information Form and the Trait Anger and Anger Expression Style Scale. After the pretest applied to the experimental and control groups, psychoeducation consisting of eight sessions was applied to the experimental group. No intervention was applied to the control group. At the end of the training of the experimental group, the posttest and follow-up test were applied to both the experimental and control groups in the first month and the third month after the posttest. A significant difference was found when the STAXI scores of the patients in the experimental and control groups were compared in the posttest and follow-up. The change in the mean scores of the individuals in the experimental group from all sub-dimensions of the STAXI in repeated measurements was statistically highly significant. Psychoeducation was found to be effective in controlling anger behavior and expressing it appropriately in patients with antisocial personality disorder. Teaching anger management affects individuals' ability to be more productive and controlled individuals. It is thought that the continuity of this education will benefit individuals..

Keywords

• antisocial personality disorder
• anger
• psychoeducation