Enhancing Pre-Treatment Motivation Improves Forensic Mental Health Outcomes

Abstract

Despite evidence that psychological treatments benefit from pre-treatment intervention, there remains no published research on the value of including a pre-treatment intervention in forensic mental health settings. The present study aimed to address this gap by examining the effects of adding a brief motivational preparatory program (MPP) to standard forensic psychiatric care. The MPP was based on hope theory and motivational interviewing within a cognitive-behavioral therapy approach. MPP participants and a waitlist control group completed a battery of self-report measures of hope and motivation to change, which were compared with respect to risk, demographic, offence history, and outcome variables. There was a significant increase in client motivation for change after completing the MPP. Additionally, those who completed the MPP evidenced modest reductions in aggressive behavior, but significantly increased engagement in subsequent forensic treatment and programming.

Keywords: forensic mental health; motivation; pre-treatment; preparatory; readiness.