NCJ Number
232016
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 54 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2010 Pages: 743-755
Date Published
October 2010
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study explored the effectiveness of individual and group cognitive-behavioral therapy in a sample of male Iranian prisoners.
Abstract
This study investigates individual and group cognitivebehavioral interventions in decreasing psychological symptoms and enhancing the psychological status of Iranian prison inmates. A random sample of 180 males is placed in 3 equal groups: an individual cognitivebehavioral therapy (CBT) group, an individual and group CBT group, and a control group. General Health Questionnaire, Symptom Checklist-90 Revised, and diagnostic interviews based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.) are used before and after intervention. MANOVA indicates that both methods improve the psychological status of the inmates and reduce their symptoms, but the combined treatment is more efficient than the individual therapy. In a 1-year follow-up after inmate release, recidivism in the individual and combined therapy groups is zero. The return rate of participants in the control group is 15 percent. Results of the study demonstrate that both individual and group CBT are effective in reducing psychological symptoms. However, the impact of combined therapy is stronger than individual CBT. Tables and references (Published Abstract)