Effectiveness of modified therapeutic community treatment within a medium-secure service for personality-disordered offenders |
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Authors: | Kim Wilson Celia Taylor Faye Blazey Francesca Hardman |
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Affiliation: | 1. Millfields Unit, East London NHS Trust, London, UK;2. Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, London, UK;3. Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK |
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Abstract: | There is debate as to whether secure hospital treatment for offenders with personality disorder can be effective relative to criminal justice interventions. This study examines the evidence for long-term treatment of such offenders in hospital within in a modified therapeutic community model including accredited offending behaviour programmes. A panel sample of 47 patients were followed up on measures of violence risk (HCR-20, VRS) and symptom severity (SCL90-R). Intention-to-treat analysis with reliability thresholds showed significant positive change between assessment and discharge in both violence risk (VRS) and symptoms (SCL90-R) indicating a positive treatment effect. Threshold effects for treatment effectiveness seemed to occur at 1?year of treatment for risk and 3?years for symptom reduction. |
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Keywords: | personality disorder offender treatment forensic outcome therapeutic community |
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