Abstract
Court-mandated treatments imply a dual role for therapy providers not only of caring for, but also of having control over, involuntary clients. The impact of legal coercion on the therapeutic relationship and feelings of stigma is widely regarded as negative and detrimental for treatment outcomes. This point of view stands in contrast to advocates of the perspective that involuntary treatment can ameliorate social functioning and thus promote a better quality of life. Regarding other outcome measures, there is evidence that offender treatment is effective and leads to reduced recidivism in criminal behavior. This narrative review provides an overview of research assessing the effects of mandatory treatment on therapeutic process and outcome factors. We conclude that legal mandatory treatment does not have to necessarily result in perceived coercion and reduced satisfaction with treatment and that a caring and authoritative treatment style aids a favorable therapeutic alliance, motivation, and therapy outcomes.
Highlights
Correctional treatment mandated by court is aimed at reducing recidivism in offending behavior
Besides increased anxiety and stress, decreased functional outcome, loss of selfesteem and quality of life, and decreased social participation were reported [37, 38]. As both mental health service utilization and treatment adherence are decreased through stigmatization, it can indirectly promote the aggravation of psychiatric symptoms [39, 40]
Studies of readiness to change under legal coercion among adults with substance use problems provided mixed patterns of result but suggested a greater readiness to change after controlling for addiction severity, prior treatment history, and gender [3, 4]
Summary
The impact of legal coercion on the therapeutic relationship and feelings of stigma is widely regarded as negative and detrimental for treatment outcomes. This point of view stands in contrast to advocates of the perspective that involuntary treatment can ameliorate social functioning and promote a better quality of life. There is evidence that offender treatment is effective and leads to reduced recidivism in criminal behavior. This narrative review provides an overview of research assessing the effects of mandatory treatment on therapeutic process and outcome factors.
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