The application and adoption of four ‘third wave’ psychotherapies for mental health difficulties and aggression within correctional and forensic settings: A systematic review

Abstract

Abstract Objective The prisoner population have substantially higher mental health needs than those reported in community samples. A number of third wave therapies have accrued varying levels of evidence in clinical and community samples for a range of psychological difficulties. Methods This review, using PRISMA guidelines, reviewed four third wave therapies, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) and their respective effectiveness in addressing psychological difficulties and aggression for those incarcerated in a number of forensic settings. Results A total of nine studies were included in the review, 8 studies for ACT, 1 for CFT and none for MCT or FAP. The study provides very tentative evidence for the use of ACT with addiction issues and anger/aggression with a prisoner population but that this is significantly tempered by methodological shortcomings and small sample sizes. Conclusions ACT shows some potential promise as a treatment with a prisoner population but the general lack of methodologically sound studies greatly limits any conclusions that can be made. At present other treatments such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and other third wave therapies, most notably, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) have accrued more evidence as a result of greater amount of research.