Beat Victimization! Understanding and preventing victimization in individuals with a psychotic disorder

People with a psychotic disorder are at an increased risk of victimization. This dissertation investigated the prevalence, risk factors, and prevention of victimization within this vulnerable group. A systematic review revealed that one in five people with a psychotic disorder had been a victim of a violent crime in the past one to three years, and 66% during their adult life. In a study conducted in the nort of the Netherlands, in which patients with a psychotic disorder participated, it was found that in half of the cases, the perpetrator was a friend or acquaintance of the patient. Additionally, it appeared that caregivers were not always aware of the victimization. The results suggest that these patients may be vulnerable in personal relationships and that some violent incidents still go unnoticed. To prevent victimization, BEATVIC was developed—a psychomotor resilience training with kickboxing exercises aimed at reducing several important risk factors. BEATVIC showed positive subjective results in a feasibility study, such as increased self-confidence and a better ability to set boundaries. Additionally, the fMRI sub-study showed relevant changes in the salience network in the brains of patients who had followed BEATVIC. However, these results could not be further substantiated in the multicenter RCT. In the short term, no significant differences were found in either risk factors or victimization. Possible reasons for this include that not all patients were at risk of victimization beforehand, and BEATVIC may have targeted too many risk factors simultaneously. With adjustments, BEATVIC could still be a promising method to prevent victimization.