Tbs-maatregel en publieke opinie in Nederland: kwantitatieve bevindingen

Social opinions towards persons deemed not guilty by reason of insanity can have a considerable influence on the process of rehabilitation of those persons. For future destigmatisation campaigns, it is important to investigate how these attitudes can be reduced. The Insanity Defense Attitude-Revised (IDA-R) scale was used to gauge the general population’s opinion (N=245) about the insanity defense and people declared not guilty by reason of insanity. Further, this study explored the possibility of psychoeducation as a potential means of changing these attitudes. Social opinion was generally neutral to positive, with higher educated and younger people being more positive. Psychoeducation was shown to reduce stigma slightly, though its overall impact was limited. To enhance public understanding and support reintegration efforts, policymakers and mental health professionals should prioritize accessible, evidence-based information about the insanity defense. Targeted educational initiatives, especially for older populations who may be less receptive to attitude change, could be integrated into broader mental health awareness campaigns.