Publication year
2014
Citation Title
Race and incarceration in an aging cohort of Vietnam veterans in treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Journal Name
Psychiatric Quarterly
Journal Volume
85
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
79-89
DOI
10.1007/s11126-013-9274-4.
Summary
Administrative records of intake assessments of 31,707 Veterans seen in Veteran's Affair's (VA) postraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) programs were examined to discern patterns of incarceration over time (from 1993-2011). Rates of incarceration declined over time. Black Veterans were more likely than White Veterans to have a lifetime history of incarceration.
Key Findings
Sixty-three percent of Veterans reported a history of incarceration in 1993; 43% endorsed this experience in 2011.
Incarceration rates were greater for Black than White Veterans throughout the study.
In 2011, 33% of White Veterans reported a history of incarceration, and 59% of Black Veterans reported this history.
There was a 28% decline in White Veterans and 9% decline in Black Veterans in incarceration rates over the study period.
Implications for Program Leaders
Enhance education, activities, and curriculum related to coping behaviors and dealing with stress
Develop written materials for deployed Service members that focus on emotion regulation and interpersonal relationships
Offer support services to family members of justice-involved Service members
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend partnerships among military-based and community-based programs to help military families feel more comfortable accessing resources that are not on installations
Continue to support programs that incorporate concurrent mental health treatment for Service members who are incarcerated
Recommend education for service providers around the possible effects of incarceration on Service members’ families
Methods
Administrative VA data on all White and Black Veterans who sought treatment from VA specialized intensive PTSD programs between 1993-2011 were used.
Measures of traumatic experiences, psychiatric diagnoses, and service connection status (disability) were gathered.
Statistical analyses examined the relationships among variables.
Participants
Thirty-one thousand seven hundred and seven Veterans’ data were included.
The average age of the sample was 53.30 years (SD = 5.80 years); 54% were separated/divorced and 39% were married; and 73% were White while 27% were Black.
Fifty-four percent reported incarceration at the time of admission to the hospital.
Limitations
Only Black and White Veterans were included; these results may not apply to Veterans of other races and ethnicities.
All data were self-reported which may introduce biases.
The population is limited to Veterans seeking intensive treatment for PTSD; therefore, the findings may not extend to Veterans in other settings.
Data were not provided on the length of incarceration or the nature of the convictions, which is important information needed to better understand the findings.
Avenues for Future Research
Explore racial disparities in incarceration with other non-White groups
Explore the decline in incarceration rates over time and investigate if these rates are declining among civilians as well
Evaluate the effectiveness of programs designed to reduce incarceration for Service members with mental health conditions
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Cross sectional studies have addressed the incarceration of Vietnam veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but no studies have examined changes in incarceration as they age. This study examines patterns of incarceration among Vietnam veterans treated in specialized veterans affairs (VA) intensive PTSD programs over time. Data was drawn from admission data from the initial episode of treatment of Caucasian and African American Vietnam veterans entering VA specialized intensive PTSD programs between 1993 and 2011 (N = 31,707). Bivariate correlations and logistic regression were used to examine associations among race and incarceration over time and the potentially confounding influence of demographic and clinical covariates on this relationship. Rates of reported incarceration declined from 63 to 43 %. Over time, African American veterans were 34 % more likely than Caucasian veterans to have a lifetime history of incarceration while interaction analysis showed steeper declines for Caucasians than African Americans. Rates of incarceration among these Vietnam veterans declined as they aged. Furthermore, African American veterans were substantially more likely than Caucasian veterans to have been incarcerated and showed less decline as the cohort aged. While reduced, needs for clinical PTSD services remain among aging combat veterans.
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