Dilemmas in the evaluation and management of religious cultists

Religious cultism defies easy generalizations. Motivating forces behind cult membership range from brainwashing-like processes to fulfillment of severe predisposing psychopathological needs; they operate to varying degrees in different individuals. Thus, the formulation of a rational and consistent therapeutic strategy may be difficult, particularly for the clinician inexperienced in this area. Treatment may be further complicated by parental pressures to adopt a deprogramming therapy model, which risks the clinician's independence, objectivity, and effectiveness. Two contrasting case histories highlight these and other evaluation and treatment dilemmas.