Presentation of the "Parma Scale" for treatment evaluation in offenders with mental disorders

Abstract

Routine treatment evaluation is still poorly implemented in the Italian forensic psychiatric practice. This is also a lack of reliable instruments, especially those sufficiently specific and sensitive to longitudinally measure behavioral and functional changes. Moreover, among the very few assessment tools specifically designed to investigate treatment progress of offenders with mental disorders and the changeability of their problematic/protective behaviors, the vast majority were developed in non-Italian countries and cultures. Therefore, given the high specificity of the Italian forensic psychiatric framework, the aim of this paper was to present a new Italian instrument, the “Parma Scale” for treatment evaluation of offenders with mental disorders, which was developed as a quick and easy forensic tool specifically designed for a dynamic assessment of treatment plans (supported by hope and oriented towards a functional, personal and social recovery) and for an accurate application in different forensic psychiatric settings.