Naltrexone in the Treatment of Adolescent Sexual Offenders

The assessment and treatment of deviant sexual arousal with adolescents who have offended sexually

“…Although a number of treatment programmes in the United States utilise medication to reduce deviant sexual arousal for adolescent males and females (McGrath et al, 2010), there is currently very little empirical basis to support the use of medication in this manner with adolescents who have offended sexually (Bradford & Federoff, 2006;Shaw, 1999). In one of the few published studies of the effectiveness of medication to reduce deviant sexual arousal in adolescents, Ryback (2004) examined the impact of naltrexone and found that 15 of 21 adolescent males who had offended sexually against younger children reported an overall decrease in sexual fantasies and masturbatory behaviours. This was not a double-blind trial, however, and the adolescents were also simultaneously involved in inpatient, sexual offence-specific treatment.…”

Androgen Deprivation Treatment of Sexual Behavior

“…Use of MPA in those with less severely problematic sexual behaviors remains a topic for further study, as does its use as a supplement for those who do not experience adequate diminution of their sexual drive with GnRH agonists alone. Naltrexone may be beneficial for adolescent sexual offenders [36].…”

Pharmacological treatments for paraphilic patients and sexual offenders

“…Finally, there have been sporadic case reports of the prescriptive use of naltrexone for adults with 'compulsive sexual behaviour' [40] and adolescent persons with Tourette's syndrome [41], and a case series with adolescent sexual offenders [42]. In the 21 adolescent offenders studied by Ryback [42], 150-200 mg/day naltrexone was required to sustain a response in 15 offenders.…”

“…In the 21 adolescent offenders studied by Ryback [42], 150-200 mg/day naltrexone was required to sustain a response in 15 offenders. Concomitant prescription of a broad range of psychotropic drugs targeting axis I comorbidity in this sample had not adequately ameliorated sexual impulsivity symptoms, but they were continued during the naltrexone trial.…”