Measuring engagement in therapy and motivation to change in adult prisoners: a brief report

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the relative properties of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA) and the Treatment Motivation Questionnaire (TMQ) in assessing offenders' motivation to change. Thirty-five male prisoners completed the URICA and the TMQ before and after treatment. The URICA scales were scored in three ways: Readiness to Change, the Italian Composite, and Committed Action. The TMQ was scored in four subscales: Internal motivation, External motivation, Help seeking, and Confidence in treatment. The criterion measure was staff-reported treatment engagement. Significant positive change post-treatment was evident on Committed Action of the URICA and the Confidence in Treatment scale of the TMQ. The three URICA composite scores correlated significantly and negatively with the criterion measure. Of the TMQ scales, only Confidence in Treatment correlated significantly with the criterion and this in a positive direction. Overall, only the Confidence in Treatment scale of the TMQ provided consistent evidence of motivation for therapy and motivation to change. Better measures of motivation need to be developed.