A preliminary evaluation of reasoning and rehabilitation 2 in mentally disordered offenders (R&R2M) across two secure forensic settings in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Reasoning and Rehabilitation for Mentally Disordered Offenders (R&R2M) is a revision of the R&R cognitive skills training programme, tailored to the needs of mentally disordered offenders. The study aimed to determine whether R&R2M is feasible to run and effective in treating patients in high and medium secure settings. Seventy patients were referred, of whom 58 were allocated to the commencement of R&R2M and 12 were waiting-list controls. When invited to attend the group, 11 refused at the outset. Thirteen did not commence the programme (nine for reasons outside of their personal control) giving a non-start rate of 22.4%. Thirty-four patients started the programme and 22 completed it giving a completion rate of 64.7%. Completers demonstrated significantly greater post-group improvements in self-rated attitudes towards violence. Primary nurses rated a significant decrease in disruptive behaviour. The findings suggest that R&R2M is both feasible and useful to run in forensic mental health settings.

Keywords:

• reasoning and rehabilitation
• mentally disordered
• offenders treatment violence secure
• group therapy
• violent attitudes
• feasibility
• effectiveness
• health
• units behavioural change forensic mental