Military psychologists are playing a very important role in the physical and psychological well-being of our troops both in and out of combat. The following article looks at how psychologists are involved in aiding veterans whose mental health may have led to their finding themselves in the criminal justice system. Veterans make up approximately 7 percent of the U.S. population, while approximately 9 percent of the national prison population are veterans. Approximately 300,000 veterans from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars have been diagnosed with PTSD and a number of PTSD symptoms could result in 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 these issues that need to be addressed by our mental health and primary care systems.

http://www.apadivisions.org/division19/publications/newsletters/military/2014/04/ptsd.aspx?__utma=12968039.1449702736.1409753687.1414787382.1414789927.8&__utmb=12968039.8.10.1414789927&__utmc=12968039&__utmx=&__utmz=12968039.1412966918.4.4.utmcsr=apa.org|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/science/leadership/care/guidelines.aspx&__utmv=-&__utmk=223836955

After reading the article, “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the Criminal Justice System,” consider the question(s) below. Then “submit” your response.

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