Building Skills for Recovery (BSR) is a substance misuse intervention that has been designed to reduce offending behaviour and dependent substance misuse with an eventual goal of recovery. As little research has been carried out to explore the efficacy of BSR, this study aimed to measure change in the treatment targets of impulsivity, locus of control and problem solving in 1,702 BSR participants in custody, particularly clinically significant change. The impact of readiness to engage in treatment on programme completion was also explored.

Key findings:
• When pre and post treatment scores for impulsivity, locus of control and problem solving abilities were examined at the group level, significant differences were observed for each target, with scores moving in the desired direction.
• While for the majority of BSR participants there was no clinically significant change in the treatment targets of impulsivity, locus of control and problem solving (44% to 62%), between 5% and 25% of participants demonstrated improvement at a clinically significant level after they had completed the programme.
• Participants who completed BSR did not significantly differ from non-completers in terms of age, gender and levels of dependence but did in terms of risk of recidivism with non-completers having significantly higher risk scores.
• Non-completers of BSR had significantly lower perceived ability to participate in treatment programmes than completers.