Treatment Motivation and Living Group Climate in German Youth Prison: A Validation of the German Adolescent Treatment Motivation Questionnaire

E.J.E. Heynen*, P. Van der Helm, G.J.J.M. Stams

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

7 Citations (Web of Science)

Abstract

Treatment motivation is one of the basic requirements for successful treatment and rehabilitation in youth detention. Treatment motivation is often presumed, but rarely assessed, because there is a lack of reliable and valid measurement instruments to investigate treatment motivation in detained youth, especially in Germany. The Adolescent Treatment Motivation Questionnaire (ATMQ) provides insight into the treatment motivation of young prisoners. The present study examined the construct validity and reliability of the German ATMQ in a sample of 76 German delinquents. A confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit to the data, indicating construct validity. Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients were good. Concurrent validity was supported by significant relations between treatment motivation and living group climate. The German ATMQ (8 items) can be used to assess treatment motivation in judicial and forensic psychiatric care in order to improve treatment motivation.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)49-60
Number of pages12
JournalResidential Treatment for Children and Youth
Volume34
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Dec 2016
Externally publishedYes

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