Research Article
Annette T. Maruca, Deborah
Abstract
This pilot study examines the effectiveness of a 4-session booster treatment intervention for offenders with mental illness in a correctional setting prior to transition to the community. This was a quantitative self-controlled case series design study. The twenty consenting female offenders in a correctional setting were non-randomly assigned to four groups of five members. Three repeated measures of data collection using two surveys occurred at baseline, pretest and posttest. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling. This pilot study provides preliminary support for the effectiveness of a booster intervention in correctional institutions in bolstering and reinforcing previously learned self-care behaviors. Results revealed that the change in self-care behaviors observed was small yet potentially clinically meaningful. Not only did the booster intervention reinforce self-care behaviors, but also the brevity of the intervention supported treatment adherence. A booster intervention is clinical significant because it can maximize skills, reinforce knowledge, sustain treatment engagement and assist with transition to the community while supporting treatment completion.