125 Patients’ and volunteers’ experiences with a social network intervention 4 CONCLUSION This qualitative study showed positive experiences of both forensic psychiatric outpatients and volunteer coaches with an additive informal social network intervention aimed at strengthening social networks in the community. We also found several barriers related to patients’ receptivity that affected patients’ engagement in the intervention, such as willingness, attitudes, and unfortunate timing due to various problems and responsibilities. Despite these barriers to engagement, results show that forensic outpatients developed new social bonds with coaches, in which they experienced social support. However, we found an unwillingness and inability among patients to engage in social network-related goals other than connecting with the coach, and to substantially change their social situations with the additive informal social network intervention. In sum, our findings show that the development of supportive social bonds between patients and coaches was considered a meaningful achievement in itself, which could initiate personal development in a population with severe and persistent problems after a year. More specific, this study suggests the feasibility and value of a personalized, relationship-oriented approach, rather than goal-oriented approach when offering an informal social network intervention. A broader development and implementationof additive informal social network interventions that take into account the barriers and facilitators to engagement, is warranted in forensic psychiatric care. Finally, further research is needed to determine which patients might profit from which type of an additional social network interventions and to examine the effects on relevant treatment outcomes in forensic outpatients.
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