A Clinical and Forensic Guide to Cults and Persuasive Leadership

Erscheinungsjahr 2025
ISBN: 978-1-009-64303-0
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 308 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 471 g

Cults have captivated public imagination, gained visibility in the media, and become a popular topic of discourse. While anecdotal and journalistic accounts offer compelling insights, systematic study on the structure, psychological predispositions, and relevance to clinical and legal settings are comparatively scarce. This disparity highlights a crucial need for rigorous scholarly inquiry, moving beyond media portrayals to uncover the foundational mechanisms that sustain and shape these enigmatic groups. Authored by experts in forensic psychiatry and psychology, this book consolidates the extant literature in reviewing the theoretical, sociocultural, clinical, and forensic issues surrounding cultist groups. This text applies evidence-based study to identify group subtypes and explore mediators and moderators that may be relevant in clinical and legal contexts. Authors address issues as they relate to a variety of subpopulations, comorbid mental disorders, mind-altering substances, treatment, and the and legal implications inherent to cults and persuasive leadership. This book may be especially pertinent to mental health professionals and those working in the criminal justice system.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Durns, Tyler

Scott, Charles

Whitehead, Paul

McDermott, Barbara E.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Part I. Typology: 1. Eastern religious cults Ansar Haroun, Dipak Gupta and Hayat Alvi; 2. Western religious cults Trent Holmberg and Kelsey Tuttle; 3. Cults of personality Joseph Pierre; 4. Groups of prejudice and intolerance Carlos A. Larrauri, Harold Bursztajn, Michael Ashley Stein, Mickey Arieli and Aviv Weinstein; 5. Multilevel marketing groups Reagan Gill; 6. Family cults Amanie Salem; Part II. Confounding Factors and Special Populations: 7. Adolescents and cults Ajay Nair and Amanie Salem; 8. Comorbid major mental disorders Susan Hatters-Friedman, Ashley VanDercar, and Ren Lawrence; 9. Extreme overvalued beliefs Tahir Rahman and Jason Roof; 10. Psychopathy and personality disorders Joslyn Wallenborn and Reid Meloy; 11. Drug use in cults Chris Sterwald and Jason Roof; Part III. Treatment and Legal Repercussions: 12. Treatment Steven Hassan, Austin Blum, and Zachary Schwartz; 13. Legal repercussions Tom Gutheil and Eric Drogin; Index.

Über Autor(innen)

Durns, Tyler
Tyler Durns, MD is Professor and Forensic Psychiatrist at the University of Utah Huntsman Mental Health Institute and Program Director of its Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship.

McDermott, Barbara E.
Barbara McDermott, PhD is Professor and Forensic Psychologist at the University of California, Davis, and Research Director at the California Department of State Hospitals.

Scott, Charles
Charles Scott, MD is Professor and Forensic Psychiatrist at the University of California, Davis, and Chief of its Psychiatry and the Law Division.

Whitehead, Paul
Paul Whitehead, MD is Adjunct Professor and Forensic Psychiatrist at the University of Utah and Clinical Director at Utah State Hospital.