On the Road to Recovery psychological therapy versus treatment as usual for forensic mental health patients: study protocol for a randomized controlled feasibility trial

Lindsey G Mcintosh,Lindsay D G Thomson,Morag Slesser,Suzanne O'Rourke

doi:10.1186/s40814-018-0319-z

Lindsey G Mcintosh, Lindsay D G Thomson + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-018-0319-z

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Abstract

BackgroundOn the Road to Recovery (OTRTR) is a brief low intensity group psychological therapy that aims to improve patients’ insight into their mental disorder and develop adaptive coping skills to help manage distress. OTRTR is currently delivered in forensic mental health services in Scotland. However, to date, this therapy has not been evaluated as to its effectiveness or safety for forensic patients.MethodsThis is a parallel-group feasibility randomized controlled trial with single-blind assessments comparing OTRTR therapy to treatment as usual (TAU) for forensic mental health patients. Fifty participants will be recruited from high, medium, and low secure forensic mental health services in Scotland. Participants will receive OTRTR for approximately 12 weeks or continue treatment as usual for 12 weeks. The trial’s primary aims relate to testing the acceptability and feasibility of key trial procedures that would be necessary for a definitive RCT of OTRTR. The secondary aims include estimating therapeutic effect sizes on clinical outcomes including insight and coping skills. The study design also features an adverse event monitoring plan to estimate the safety of OTRTR for participants, as well as use of intensive longitudinal methods to identify “key ingredients” to the OTRTR therapy protocol.DiscussionThis study will inform the design and sample size for a future full-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT), which will be conducted to determine the effectiveness of the On the Road to Recovery intervention in improving forensic mental health patients’ clinical insight and coping skills.Trial registrationISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN75126867 registered 27 July 2017

Highlights

On the Road to Recovery (OTRTR) is a brief low intensity group psychological therapy that aims to improve patients’ insight into their mental disorder and develop adaptive coping skills to help manage distress
A forensic patient may require psychological work aimed at improving their management of basic emotions before the patient will be able to cope with the demands of sex-offending treatment
The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of conducting an randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing On the Road to Recovery psychological therapy to treatment as usual (TAU) for forensic mental health patients

Summary

Introduction

On the Road to Recovery (OTRTR) is a brief low intensity group psychological therapy that aims to improve patients’ insight into their mental disorder and develop adaptive coping skills to help manage distress. OTRTR is currently delivered in forensic mental health services in Scotland To date, this therapy has not been evaluated as to its effectiveness or safety for forensic patients. The Forensic Matrix proposed a model of “stepped care” [5] for forensic patients This model acknowledges that forensic patients often present with complex and enduring problems relating to their risk and offending behaviors which require highly specialist and individually tailored psychological treatment from practitioners with high levels of training and forensic expertise. They often have simpler underlying or associated psychological needs which may respond to less intensive interventions. There is a critical need to evaluate the effectiveness of these therapies

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