(189) Enhancing Access to Mental Health Care for Stigmatized Populations: Privacy Needs of Individuals with a Sexual Interest in Children

Introduction Individuals with a sexual interest in children (ISIC) are at risk of committing child sexual abuse (CSA) or consuming child sexual abuse material (CSAM). At the same time, they often experience significant mental health challenges. Psychotherapy can help reduce both the risk of offending and the psychological distress experienced by ISIC. However, pervasive and hostile public stigma towards this group creates major barriers to seeking help, deterring many from engaging in therapy. Reducing these barriers is therefore crucial, not only to improve their mental well-being and coping strategies but also to contribute to the prevention of CSA and CSAM. Objective This study aims to investigate the fears and needs of ISIC regarding psychotherapy in order to develop an alternative tailored to their needs. The goal is to gain insights that can be used to create an alternative system that is more accessible for this target group. Methods Up to now, N=154 ISIC participated in an anonymous online survey assessing their treatment-related anxieties, preferences for different therapy settings, and willingness to seek therapy. Data collection is ongoing. Results Our findings indicate a strong interest in anonymous, digital forms of therapy. Participants reported privacy-related concerns regarding psychotherapy but also expressed a general openness to seeking professional help. Conclusions Ensuring anonymous treatment options can be an important step to increase ISIC therapy engagement. These findings will be discussed in the context of the VERANDA project, which aims to develop an anonymized digital therapy system offering video-, voice-, and text-based sessions. The system uses avatars and voice-masking technologies to protect the identities of both clients and therapists. A first prototype of this tool will be demonstrated. Disclosure No