PTSD Increases Risk of Criminal Recidivism Among Justice-Involved Persons With Mental Disorders

Course overview

Course Description: This course is based upon material published in the journal Criminal Justice and Behavior by Sage Publications on behalf of the International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology (IACFP). This course, including the continuing education credits are offered free of charge as a benefit to all IACFP members. Abstract: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a potentially important, yet understudied, mental disorder to consider in models of criminal recidivism. The present study sought to address this gap in the literature with a large-scale secondary analysis of observational data from a sample of justice-involved persons with mental disorders. Administrative data were reviewed for 771 adult jail detainees with mental disorders. Hierarchical logistic regression models showed that PTSD was associated with a greater likelihood of general (arrest for any new charge) and serious (arrest for a new felony charge) recidivism during the year following the index arrest, after controlling for risk conferred by a recent history of arrest, demographic characteristics, and other mental disorders. Furthermore, risk of rearrest for new charges was comparable for PTSD and substance use disorders. Findings show that PTSD increases risk of both general and serious recidivism and suggest it should be considered in interventions to reduce justice-system involvement. Forensic and clinical psychologists can benefit from this course. In addition, this course is appropriate for social workers and professional counselors, especially those interested in forensic psychology or those who work within the criminal justice system. This course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to enhance their knowledge of complex trauma and aggression in adolescents, especially those in secure juvenile justice settings. Authors: Sadeh and McNiel Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding PTSD and recidivism. Specifically, a professional will: Identify the relationship between PTSD and recidivism. Distinguish the risk of rearrest for persons with PTSD as compared to those with substance use disorders. Describe the increase in risk for both general and serious recidivism due to PTSD. Citation: Sadeh, N. and McNiel, D.E., (2015). PTSD Increases Risk of Criminal Recidivism Among Justice-Involved Persons With Mental Disorders. Criminal Justice and Behavior Vol 42 No 6. Please visit us online for one year of unlimited CE'S at www.ce-classes.com