Group climate and treatment motivation in secure residential and forensic youth care from the perspective of self-determination theory

Treatment motivation in secure residential youth care is assumed to be a necessary condition for effective treatment, and is therefore a key element in the reduction of problem behavior and criminal recidivism. According to Self-Determination Theory (SDT) three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence and relatedness) are essential for treatment motivation, which are characteristics of a positive residential group climate. Based on SDT, we examined whether a therapeutic (open) group climate and low levels of institutional repression were associated with treatment motivation of adolescents residing in (semi-) secure residential youth care facilities. An ethnically diverse sample was studied of 179 respondents (M = 16.2 years; SD = 1.5), in 12 Dutch (semi)secure youth care facilities and 9 forensic youth care institutions. We measured residential group climate with the PGCI and treatment motivation with the ATMQ, and fitted a Cross-Lagged Panel Model (CLPM) of residential group climate and treatment motivation. It was found that a positive group climate in the first month after placement predicted greater treatment motivation three months later.