Trauma, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, and associated problemsamong incarcerated veterans

Objective: To help improve treatment for incarcerated veterans, the study e xamined exposure to trauma, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD ), functional status, and treatment history in a group of incarcerated vete rans. Methods: A convenience sample of 129 jailed veterans who agreed. to r eceive outreach contact completed the Life Event History Questionnaire, the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), and the Addiction Severity Index. Participants who had scores of 50 or above on the PCL-C, designated as scr eening positive for PTSD, were compared with those whose scores were below 50, designated as screening negative for PTSD. Results: Some 112 veterans ( 87 percent) reported traumatic experiences. A total of 51 veterans (39 perc ent) screened positive for PTSD, and 78 veterans (60 percent) screened nega tive. Compared with veterans who screened negative for PTSD, those who scre ened positive reported a greater variety of traumas; more serious current l egal problems; a higher lifetime use of alcohol, cocaine, and heroin; highe r recent expenditures on drugs; more psychiatric symptoms; and worse genera l health despite more previous psychiatric and medical treatment as well as treatment for substance abuse. Conclusions The findings encourage the deve lopment of an improved treatment model to keep jailed veterans with PTSD fr om repeated incarceration.