This study was one part of the research activities of work package 5 'Rehabilitation' of the integrated EU DRUID project (6th Framework Programme). It aimed at gathering information about the cognitive—affective and behavioural processes that participants undergo while attending driver rehabilitation (DR) programmes. The primary objective was to analyse the outcomes of group interventions for alcohol offenders in order to assess any cognitive, motivational and behavioural modifications within individual participants and to identify the relevant variables which initiate and support this change process. The general methodological concept of the study was a prospective cohort design of participants of group-based European driver rehabilitation programmes, carried out via a participant feedback questionnaire survey. In total N=7.339 DUI offenders in 9 European countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands and Poland) participated in the survey. The results indicate that DR participants feel such programmes provide strong support for their cognitive and behavioural change processes. The findings suggest that participants feel encouraged to establish new behavioural goals and the commitment to stick to them. At the same time, the participants’ ratings emphasise the important role of the course leader in encouraging such changes. The findings of this explorative questionnaire survey are promising. Although it is impossible to draw any conclusions regarding long-term behavioural changes or effects on recidivism rates, participants of DR courses express positive feedback on completion of the programme. The positive outcomes of the study can motivate decisionmakers to launch DR measures and to regard them as an essential part of a comprehensive countermeasure system against DUI. (Author/publisher
Abstract