A Clinical and Forensic Guide to Cults and Persuasive Leadership

The first and only book to review the theoretical, clinical, and forensic issues pertaining to cults and persuasive leadership.

Tyler Durns (Edited by), Charles Scott (Edited by), Paul Whitehead (Edited by), Barbara E. McDermott (Edited by)

9781009643030, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 3 July 2025

308 pages
23.3 x 15.5 x 1.6 cm, 0.48 kg

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.

Section 1. Typology: 1. Eastern Religious Cults Ansar Haroun, Hayat Alvi, and Dipak K. Gupta
2 Western Religious Cults Trent C. Holmberg and Kelsey N. Tuttle
3 Cults of Personality Joseph M. Pierre
4. Cults and Terrorism Natalie Pyszora, Debra Smith, and Chris Winter
5. Groups of Prejudice and Intolerance Carlos A. Larrauri, Diana E. Vukel, Harold J. Bursztajn, Michael Ashley Stein, Mickey Arieli, and Aviv Weinstein
6. Multilevel Marketing Groups Reagan Gill
7. Family Cults Ajay Nair and Amanie Salem
Section 2. Confounding Factors and Special Populations: 8. Adolescents and Cults Amanie Salem
9. Comorbid Major Mental Disorders Ashley H. VanDercar, Ren Belcher, and Susan Hatters Friedman
10. Extreme Overvalued Beliefs Tahir Rahman and Jason G. Roof
11. Psychopathy and Personality Disorders Joslyn K. Wallenborn and J. Reid Meloy
12. Drug Use in Cults Chris Sterwald and Jason G. Roof
Section 3. Treatment and Legal Repercussions: 13. Treatment Steven Hassan, Zachary Schwartz, and Austin Blum
14. Legal Implications of Cults Eric Y. Drogin and Thomas G. Gutheil
Index.

Subject Areas: Clinical psychology [MMJ]