Research Exercise Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the Criminal Justice System

true

You must read each slide, and complete any questions on the slide, in sequence.

Research Exercise

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the Criminal Justice System

Military psychologists are playing a very important role in the physical and psychological well-being of U.S. troops both in and out of combat. The following article looks at how psychologists are involved in aiding veterans whose mental health may have gotten them involved in the criminal justice system. Veterans make up approximately 7 percent of the U.S. population, yet they make up approximately 9 percent of the national prison population. Approximately 300,000 veterans from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have been diagnosed with PTSD, and a number of PTSD symptoms could result in veterans having negative contact with law enforcement. Veterans deserve to be treated with great care and to have their needs met in order to reduce negative outcomes for them and society. The Society for Military Psychology, a division of the American Psychological Association, has attempted to highlight some of the issues that the mental health and primary care systems need to address.

After reading the article on pages 8-9, “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the Criminal Justice System,” consider the questions below. Then submit your responses.

1 of 5

What percentage of veterans who experience PTSD have been reported to have committed a violent crime?

3 of 5

Which of the following is NOT noted as a stage of military life that warrants intervention?

4 of 5

Currently there are no central governing practices for the Veterans’ Treatment Courts. What would be the benefit of the APA’s Division 19 (Society for Military Psychology) providing best-practice guidelines?

One possible answer is that different jurisdictions could learn from each other and could share their knowledge of best practices. This would also provide a template that jurisdictions not currently involved could use in developing their own Veterans’ Treatment Courts.

5 of 5

What are some of the challenges that veterans who are have PTSD face when they attempt to reintegrate into civilian life?

One possible answer is the various ways in which specific PTSD symptoms can interfere with multiple domains of veterans’ lives. For instance, veterans may have difficulty sleeping, which may affect mood and energy level.

Note: Web links in this activity lead you to external sites. Some URLs change frequently and may appear as broken links. If you encounter a broken link, visit our Web Links page to see if a replacement link is provided or try searching for the article or organization in your Web browser. To report a broken link, contact technical support through the help option in LaunchPad.