PRISON SERVICE

Social Problem Solving Skills Inventory—Revised(SPSI-R) — Administered pre- and post-treatmentCrime-Pics II — Administered pre- and posttreatmentSPSI-R, and Crime-Pics II As with pre-treatmentassessment data, the data from psychometrics collectedon completion are also recorded in individuals’ ADTPfiles and post-programme reports.RAPt Assessment and Mental Health ScreenThe RAPt Assessment and Mental Health Screenwas developed by RAPt and is based on DSM-IV-TRcriteria for Alcohol Dependence and a range of otherAxis I and Axis II disorders. It is designed to assesswhether an offender meets DSM-IV criteria for alcoholdependence. The incorporated mental health screen isdesigned to screen offenders for symptoms ofdepression, anxiety, mania, psychosis,obsessive/compulsive disorders, eating disorders, posttraumaticstress disorder and personality disorders andassess whether offenders haveany history of mental healthproblems, including self-harmand suicide. This latter section isnot intended as a diagnostic toolbut simply as an aid to highlightpotential mental healthsymptoms and needs. It isadministered as part of the ADTPselection process and beforeadmission to the programme.Mental health difficulties areknown to be prevalent inprisoners and to impact ontreatment engagement. There isevidence to suggest that theactive treatment of co-morbid mental health problemsmay improve substance misuse outcomes 12 . This hasimportant implications for ADTP participants whomaintain abstinence but whose relapse risk is high dueto inadequately treated mental health needs. RAPt staffwork closely with Mental Health in-reach teams tosupport participants with mental health needs.Pre- and Post-Treatment PsychometricsA number of the psychometric measuresadministered at the pre-treatment stage are readministeredon completion. As well as helping toevaluate the programme’s overall impact on theunderlying factors targeted, changes in pre- and posttreatmentscores also help inform the throughcareprocess by providing a fuller picture of each individual’sclinical needs on discharge. The questionnaires readministeredon completion are: URICA, ATCQ, DTCQ,Mental healthdifficulties areknown to beprevalent inprisoners and toimpact on treatmentengagement.University of Rhode Island Change Assessment(URICA)The URICA is administered to participants on thefirst day of the ADTP and then re-administered on thelast day. It is used to measure participants’ level ofcommitment to achieving sobriety and effecting changein their lives generally. The measure uses the ‘cycle ofchange’ concept to assess readiness. Participants withlow scores fall into the ‘pre-contemplation’ or‘contemplation’ stages while more motivatedparticipants’ scores should place them in the ‘action’and ‘maintenance’ phases.Alcohol Taking ConfidenceQuestionnaire (ATCQ)The ATCQ measures aperson’s confidence in their abilityto resist drinking alcohol inresponse to a range of differentrecognised ‘risk’ circumstances —unpleasant emotions, physicaldiscomfort, conflict with others,pleasant times with others,pleasantemotions,urges/cravings to use, and socialpressure to use. It also containsquestions relating to the desireon the part of the offender to ‘test’ their ability toconsume alcohol in a controlled fashion and resist socialand other pressures to drink.Social Problem Solving Skills Inventory —Revised (SPSI-R)The SPSI-R is administered to participants on thefirst day of the ADTP and then re-administered on thelast day. The SPSI-R is designed to measure problemsolving skills and deficits. A positive impact on thisfactor would be expected to be reflected in positivechanges in participants’ scores on this measure. Itconsists of 25 items, which make up five sub-scales: Positive problem orientation Negative problem orientation Rational problem solving Impulsive / careless style Avoidance style12. Charney, D. A., Paraherakis, A. M. & Gill, K. J. (2001) Integrated treatment of comorbid depression and substance use disorders.Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 62, 672–677, Hesse, M. (2004) Achieving abstinence by treating depression in the presence of substanceusedisorders. Addictive Behaviors, 29, 1137–1141, and Watkins, K. E., Paddock, S. M., Zhang, L., et al. (2006) Improving care fordepression in patients with comorbid substance misuse. American Journal of Psychiatry, 163, 125–132.Issue 192 Prison Service Journal11