NCJ Number
202375
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 47 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2003 Pages: 516-528
Editor(s)
George B. Palermo M.D.
Date Published
October 2003
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study examined the application and effectiveness of relapse prevention in offender treatment through a meta-analysis.
Abstract
Relapse prevention is a cognitive-behavioral approach to self management focusing on tracking individuals’ alternate responses to high-risk situations. The relapse prevention model was developed to aid in the treatment of offenders. However, there has been little controlled outcome research evaluating its effectiveness. In this study, a meta-analysis was conducted to explore the effectiveness of the relapse prevention model within various treatment conditions. Twenty-four studies contributed 40 tests of the effectiveness of relapse prevention elements to the meta-analysis. The analysis revealed that relapse prevention programs were associated with moderate mean reductions in recidivism. The study suggested that increasing the number of relapse prevention components targeted within the program significantly enhances the therapeutic potential of the program. Programs that specifically identified and detailed their relapse prevention elements yielded significantly higher mean effect sizes. Future directions in research are discussed. References