SynthesisFrontiers in psychology2026
Change process in psychotherapy for criminal offenders: a comprehensive review with content analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The aim of this study is to systematically identify and synthesise the therapeutic components that facilitate recovery in criminal offenders undergoing psychotherapy or psychosocial interventions. A systematic review was conducted covering 163 studies published between 2000 and 2024, focusing on interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, schema therapy, mentalisation-based treatment, and attachment-based approaches. A content analysis of these studies resulted in 7 core themes and 32 sub-components representing therapeutic components frequently emphasised in the literature. Structured and directive therapy approaches, cognitive restructuring, and social skills training were the most frequently emphasised, while relational factors such as empathy, warmth, unconditional respect, and therapeutic alliance were less represented. Trauma-focused and cultural or gender-sensitive adaptations were minimal. The findings highlight the predominance of technical, protocol-driven approaches in offender rehabilitation and underscore the need to integrate structured interventions with relational, motivational, and individualised adaptations. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive synthesis of psychological mechanisms discussed in the literature as relevant to offender recovery, emphasising the importance of balanced, multi-component, and individualised therapeutic approaches that address both technical and relational factors.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.