NCJ Number
227409
Journal
Criminal Behavior and Mental Health Volume: 19 Issue: 1 Dated: 2009 Pages: 9-27
Date Published
2009
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study examined outcome measures used in forensic mental health (FMH) research.
Abstract
Noted in the study is that there has been excessive focus in FMH on outcomes in terms of recidivism so that domains such as clinical outcomes (psychopathology as well as broader aspects of health), rehabilitation and functional capacity, and humanitarian considerations are overshadowed; societal concerns about public safety have received greater weight compared to outcomes focused on individual patients' interests. This study's review provides clear evidence that this relative emphasis upon recidivism is still strong in outcome measurement in FMH research. Results found that a substantial range of variables used to assess recidivism made up 40 percent of the measures used; they reflected the diversity of target groups and interventions, service and system context of trials with varying emphases on arrest, conviction or imprisonment, and considerations such as duration of followup. There were also varying types of evidence collation from self-report through numerous different criminal justice sources of data. Only 17 percent of the recidivism measures used a formal instrument. This variety does not jeopardize the internal validity of studies, but does make comparative or meta-analytic research more challenging. Data were collected from 308 distinct studies reported in 302 references. Tables, references, and appendix