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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Forensic Psychiatry
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1450377

Talking about sexuality in forensic psychiatry Balancing on a slack line -Staffs' experiences of talking about sexuality and sexual health with patients cared for in forensic psychiatry in Sweden

Provisionally accepted
Anna Lindskog Anna Lindskog 1,2*Malin Lindroth Malin Lindroth 3Kristina Holmgren Kristina Holmgren 1Anna B. Gunnarsson Anna B. Gunnarsson 1,2
  • 1 Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
  • 2 Department of Research and Development, Region Kronoberg, Växjö, Sweden
  • 3 Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Sexuality is a central part of being human, however, talking about sexual health is generally avoided in forensic psychiatry. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how healthcare professionals experience talking about sexuality and sexual health with patients cared for in forensic psychiatry. Individual interviews were conducted with eighteen healthcare professionals from ten different forensic psychiatry care units in Sweden. The interviews were semi-structured, and the data was analyzed with qualitative content analysis. The findings showed the overarching theme "Balancing on a slack line". The conversations the healthcare professionals have about sexuality and sexual health with patients in this setting are affected by forensic psychiatry's dual mission; to provide care and at the same time protect patients and society. These conversations can be about opening up for having responsive conversations, but also closing conversations since the field of sexuality and sexual health is fraught with norms and preconceptions. To be able to conduct these conversations can be a challenge since the professionals can experience uncertainty due to a lack of competence, indicating that knowledge and resources are needed to facilitate conversations. In conclusion, the study indicates that there is a lack of support and structure for performing conversations about sexuality and sexual health in forensic psychiatry care, and there is a need for increased knowledge among healthcare professionals. In order to support staff, the forensic psychiatry services need to acknowledge the national guidelines for sexual and reproductive health and rights and to develop and adapt the local guidelines.

    Keywords: healthcare professionals1, interview2, Mental Health3, qualitative content analysis4, sexual health5, forensic psychiatry care6

    Received: 17 Jun 2024; Accepted: 12 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Lindskog, Lindroth, Holmgren and Gunnarsson. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Anna Lindskog, Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.