Objective: Delusional infestation is a psychiatric condition in which a patient
belief that they are infested with living organisms in the absence of any objective
evidence. The objective of this case report is to highlight a rare case of delusional
infestations in a patient with schizophrenia who misusing polysubstance abuse.
Methods: We report a case of 36-year-old Malay gentlemen, unemployed,
married with three children, known case of schizophrenia since 2013, with
history of polysubstance abuse presented to the emergency department with
symptoms of itching followed by a sensation of insects crawling, biting and
burrowing under the skin on his head causing an ulcerated wound. Results: He
was diagnosed to be suffering from schizophrenia and was successfully treated
with monthly antipsychotic depot injection in view of his poor adherence to
medication On examination, ulcerated scalp wound measuring 4 x 4 cm was
noted at the parieto-occipital region of the scalp. Skull X-ray and computerized
tomography (CT) scan of the brain were normal. Electroconvulsive therapy
(ECT) was introduced in view of slow treatment response and self-inflicted
injury. The symptoms were successfully controlled after eight months, and no
extrapyramidal side effect was observed. Conclusion: Patients with delusional
infestation often poorly adhered to his treatment medication and the usage of
depot injection of antipsychotic may benefited some patients to control the
psychotic symptoms.
Introduction: Psychotherapy is a form of treatment intervention targeting problematical human behaviour, emotion, and cognition using various psychological techniques and approaches. In Malaysia, the application of psychotherapy in ameliorating criminality among forensic populations is developing and evidence shows that some therapies like Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy and Reality Therapy have been practiced in many correctional institutions.
Objective: This paper aims to review the role of psychotherapy for help in correctional settings as a means to ameliorate criminal behaviour and reduce recidivism rates.
Method: An archival research was utilised, where articles and books regardless of the year of publication from different countries, including Malaysia were examined. Several keywords were used for the purpose of retrieval of related articles.
Results and Discussion: Three different approaches of psychotherapies, i.e. Behavioural Therapy, Cognitive Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy and their principles and effectiveness in rehabilitating the forensic populations were elaborated in this review. The principle behind the effectiveness of the psychotherapy was different, and this influences the choice of treatment that should be used in dealing with the forensic populations.
Conclusion: Forensic populations have rights to obtain treatment, and the choice of therapy has to be relevant within the context of cost-effectiveness to ensure optimum effectiveness in ameliorating criminal tendencies.