Women Firesetters Admitted to Secure Psychiatric Services: Characteristics and Treatment Needs

Female firesetters have been somewhat neglected in the research literature, and knowledge and practice is underdeveloped. A survey of the characteristics of firesetters admitted to a secure service for women and their firesetting behavior was undertaken to inform the development of assessment and intervention strategies for this group. The analysis of case records of 90 consecutive admissions revealed that 49 women had a history of firesetting. This group was more likely than other women admitted to the same facility to have a diagnosis of either personality disorder or schizophrenia and they were more impulsive. The firesetters did not differ from the other women in terms of symptomatology, need, or self-efficacy; no differences were found between the firesetters and those convicted of arson. Firesetters tended to act alone and select targets within or close to their place of residence. In view of the poor understanding of risk factors for firesetting in this group it is suggested that interventions, which may include a focus on fire interest and offense-related cognitions, should be fully informed by a sophisticated functional analysis.