Behavioral Health Interventions for Incarcerated Adults With Histories of Trauma: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Purpose: The majority of incarcerated individuals have experienced traumatic events in their lifetime, contributing to related behavioral health issues, including post-traumatic stress, mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders. The purpose of this article is to understand the existing state of the literature through a scoping review on correctional-based programs that address both trauma and behavioral health. Methods: Proquest and EBSCO databases were searched to identify studies focused on trauma and behavioral health that focused on incarcerated adults in the United States. Results: A total of 25 studies evaluating correctional-based programming on trauma and behavioral health problems. Most included studies reported improvement of behavioral health symptoms as a result of the intervention. Discussion: The findings indicated a need for additional research on behavioral health interventions for incarcerated adults with a history of trauma. Specifically, future research should focus on increasing the methodological rigor of intervention studies and expanding the diversity of included samples.