Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the psychometric characteristics of male offenders who joined a democratic therapeutic community and their relationship to attrition.Design/methodology/approachResidents who left therapy prematurely during the assessment phase (N = 46) and residents who left therapy prematurely during core therapy (N = 202) were compared to residents who completed therapy (N = 52) on two psychometric measures: Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices and The Blame Attribution Inventory.FindingsA multinomial logistic regression analysis showed higher levels of external blame can predict attrition during therapy; those with higher levels of external attribution are significantly more likely to leave therapy prematurely, including both during the assessment phase and during core therapy. Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices score did not significantly predict whether an individual left therapy prematurely.Originality/valueSupport was found for existing research within the academic evidence base. The findings have both empirical and clinical utility, suggesting during the assessment phase of therapy, practitioners can identify residents that may require additional support to maintain engagement, minimising the potential for premature departure. The implications of the findings are discussed, with suggestions made for future research.

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