A Preliminary Investigation into the Self-Reported Impact of a Drink Driving Rehabilitation Program on Group of Recidivist Drink Drivers

Research has begun to provide valuable insight into the impact of drink driving rehabilitation programs on key program outcomes such as motivations to change problem behaviours, and self-efficacy levels to control such behaviours. The present study reports on the self-reported impact of an Australian rehabilitation program on a group of recidivist offenders' drinking and drink driving behaviours (N = 87). The findings indicate that program completion produced a positive impact on participants’ motivations to change both their drinking and drink driving behaviours, although the majority of participants continued to drink heavily after completing the program. In addition, participants reported high levels of self-efficacy to control both their drinking and drink driving behaviours before and after program completion. Importantly, participants' appraisal regarding the effectiveness of the program was not associated with motivations to change problem behaviours. The findings have direct implications for the development of effective programs that address not only the act of drink driving, but also the problem of harmful levels of alcohol consumption.