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PTSD Behind Bars: Incarcerated Women and PTSD

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Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

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Abstract

Women in prison often have significant trauma histories, and PTSD is much more common among female inmates than in their community counterparts. Among female prisoners, PTSD is the second most common disorder, after substance use disorders. In this population, PTSD is often comorbid with substance use disorders, personality disorders, serious mental illnesses, and HIV. Pharmacotherapy options are limited in prisons, impacting treatment options. As well, psychotherapy usually must occur within group settings in prison, posing unique challenges in this population.

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Abbreviations

AA:

Alcoholics Anonymous

ADHD:

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

BPD:

Borderline personality disorder

CBT:

Cognitive behavioral therapy

DBT:

Dialectical behavioral therapy

HIV:

Human immunodeficiency virus

PD:

Personality disorder

PTSD:

Post-traumatic stress disorder

SMI:

Serious mental illness

SSRI:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

SUD:

Substance use disorder

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Auckland Regional Forensic Psychiatry Services, Mason Clinic, Auckland, New Zealand

    Susan Hatters Friedman

  2. University of Auckland, Grafton Campus, Hospital support building floor 12, Park Road, Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand

    Susan Hatters Friedman

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Stephanie Collier

  4. Department of Medical Education, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, 2500 West Lake Mary Rd, Suite 219, Lake Mary, FL, 32746, USA

    Ryan C. W. Hall

  5. Department of Psychiatry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Ryan C. W. Hall

  6. Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law, Orlando, FL, USA

    Ryan C. W. Hall

Authors
  1. Susan Hatters Friedman
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  2. Stephanie Collier
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  3. Ryan C. W. Hall
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susan Hatters Friedman .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Buckinghamshire New University, Uxbridge, Middlesex, United Kingdom

    Colin R. Martin

  2. Kings College, London, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  3. University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Friedman, S.H., Collier, S., Hall, R.C.W. (2015). PTSD Behind Bars: Incarcerated Women and PTSD. In: Martin, C., Preedy, V., Patel, V. (eds) Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08613-2_57-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08613-2_57-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-08613-2

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