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Clinical Change in Cognitive Distortions and Core Schemas After a Cognitive–Behavioral Group Intervention: Preliminary Findings from a Randomized Trial with Male Prison Inmates

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Abstract

The goal of this pilot study was to assess the efficacy of a cognitive–behavioral program in reducing cognitive distortions and schemas in prison inmates. The Angry Cognitions Scale and the Young Schema Questionnaire was answered by a treatment and control group, and the treatment effects were tested using ANCOVA with baseline as covariate and condition as fixed factor. In order to assess clinical change, the Reliable Change Index was computed. At baseline, no differences were found between groups, except for one subscale of the Angry Cognitions Scale (Maladaptive Processes), where controls scored higher than treatment subjects. ANCOVA showed significant differences between groups at post-treatment, with treatment subjects presenting lower scores on the studied variables. Concerning clinical change, differences between groups were observed in the distributions by change categories in the majority of the variables. These outcomes offer preliminary evidence of the program’s ability to change cognitive variables underlying antisocial behavior.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all prison staff members that collaborated in data collection, Ana Luísa Rosa and Susana Santos for proofreading the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

“GPS—Growing Pro-Social, a prevention and rehabilitation program for individuals with antisocial behavior: Efficacy studies in forensic samples” (PTDC/PSI-PCL/102165/2008) is supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology, and it is a partnership between the Research Unit of the Cognitive-Behavioral Research and Intervention Center and the General Directorship of Social Reinsertion and Prison Services of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice. Nélio Brazão, Carolina da Motta Daniel Rijo, Maria do Céu Salvador, José Pinto-Gouveia and João Ramos declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Informed Consent

All the research procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the General Directorship of Social Reinsertion and Prison Services of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice. All inmates were invited to participate voluntarily and have given their informed consent.

Animal Rights

No animal studies were carried out by the authors for this paper.

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  1. Research Unit of the Cognitive-Behavioral Research and Intervention Center, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Rua do Colégio Novo, 3001-802, Coimbra, Portugal

    Nélio Brazão, Carolina da Motta, Daniel Rijo, Maria do Céu Salvador, José Pinto-Gouveia & João Ramos

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  1. Nélio Brazão
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  2. Carolina da Motta
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  3. Daniel Rijo
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Correspondence to Nélio Brazão.

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Brazão, N., da Motta, C., Rijo, D. et al. Clinical Change in Cognitive Distortions and Core Schemas After a Cognitive–Behavioral Group Intervention: Preliminary Findings from a Randomized Trial with Male Prison Inmates. Cogn Ther Res 39, 578–589 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-015-9693-5

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