BACKGROUND: Offenders with personality disorder experience significant co-morbid mental health problems and present with an increased risk of offending. The evidence for the effectiveness of interventions for personality disordered offenders in the community is limited. This study was a pilot study to determine the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of an intervention known as Resettle for personality disordered offenders and to explore the possible effects of this intervention.
METHODS: Potential participants were recruited from referrals of male prisoners to Resettle. Those consenting underwent baseline assessments before being randomised to Resettle or treatment as usual. Officially recorded and self-report offending was assessed over two years following release from custody. Of the 110 eligible participants, 72 (65%) participated in the study of whom 38 were randomised to Resettle and 34 to treatment as usual. The two groups had a similar psychiatric and offending profile.
RESULTS: Analysis of officially recorded offences at two years found mixed results, but whether adopting an intent-to-treat approach or including only those who received the intervention there was no clear evidence of an effect of the intervention. A comparison of self-report offending found no effect of Resettle in an intent-to-treat analysis, but there was an effect when the analysis involved only those participating in the intervention.
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that with some adjustments it was possible to carry out an RCT of a complex intervention for personality disordered offenders in a criminal justice setting. Some, but not conclusive, evidence was found in favour of the intervention.