Cultural adaptation of the short motivational programme for the Portuguese forensic context

Purpose Motivational Interviewing (MI) may be particularly relevant in forensic settings by supporting treatment engagement and reducing program dropout. This work aimed to translate and culturally adapt the Short Motivational Programme (SMP), a MI-based intervention, for use in the Portuguese forensic context. Design/methodology/approach A four-stage cultural adaptation process, guided by the Ecological Validity Framework, was conducted and included: expert consultation; initial content adaptation; preliminary implementation of the SMP followed by semi-structured post-treatment interviews with 22 justice-involved participants (15 male and 7 female) recruited from prison and community settings; and final revisions informed by participant and expert feedback. Findings The adaptation process resulted in a culturally appropriate Portuguese version of the SMP (SMP-PV) comprising six sessions. Overall, the program was perceived by justice-involved participants and experts as relevant, understandable and acceptable. Justice-involved participants’ feedback varied more according to intervention setting than gender, with people in prison providing more comprehensive and reflective feedback than those in community settings. No offense-specific adaptations were identified as necessary. Practical implications The SMP-PV may enhance motivation for change and treatment engagement among justice-involved people and provide psychologists and practitioners with a culturally appropriate intervention to support rehabilitation efforts in Portuguese correctional settings. Originality/value Despite the relevance of MI to forensic rehabilitation, no structured MI-based protocol or intervention has previously culturally adapted and implemented with justice-involved people in Portugal. The adaptation of the SMP therefore addresses an important gap in the Portuguese criminal justice context and provides a foundation for future evaluation of its feasibility and effectiveness.