Search results

The purpose of this paper is to provide an evaluation of a cognitive skills programme (Enhanced Thinking Skills) with adult prisoners.

A pre- and post-treatment design with 171 male prisoners, using self-report psychometric measures.

Significant differences were found in the direction expected. Clinical recovery using stringent methods was not indicated, although improvement/partial response was across a number of domains.

Expectations for treatment outcome for short-term interventions should be more realistic; cognitive skills programmes may be best considered as precursors to longer term therapies; treatment outcome should focus on improvement and not recovery.

This study represents the first prison study to distinguish between levels of positive change. It questions previous interpretations of treatment outcome.