The effectiveness of the Addressing Substance Related Offending-Secure (ASRO-S) treatment programme in a secure forensic hospital setting: A service evaluation

Abstract

The Addressing Substance Related Offending-Secure (ASRO-S) programme is a 20-session, cognitive-behavioural group treatment that aims to reduce offending behaviour by targeting the important factor of problematic substance misuse, adapted for the use in secure hospitals. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a ASRO-S programme with 10 male participants, aged 25 to 49, within a secure forensic hospital. A review of the literature suggests this is the first service evaluation of the ASRO-S. Following the examination of Q-Q Plots, homogeneity of variance was assumed and a paired sample t-test was used to compare pre- and post-treatment scores on the four psychometric scales. The evaluation found only one significant difference showing an increase in non-planning impulsivity (lack of concern for the future) for group members post-programme, however, this increase remained within the normal range for a psychiatric inpatient population. Future research should explore the use of different psychometrics measures when delivering a substance use treatment programme in secure hospitals as this will allow for a substantive evaluation of the effectiveness of these programmes. Additional to this, it should be investigated whether substance use or offence specific treatment programmes are more effective at reducing risk than mixed participant programmes.