Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

9-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Program

Psychology

Advisor

Casey LaDuke

Committee Members

Desiree Byrd

Valentina Nikulina

Yvette Caro

Veronica Hinton

Subject Categories

Clinical Psychology | Cognitive Science | Criminology | Inequality and Stratification | Law and Psychology | Other Psychology | Race and Ethnicity | Social Justice

Keywords

traumatic brain injury (TBI), trauma, neuropsychological assessment, executive functioning, recidivism, incarceration, criminal justice

Abstract

Justice-involved individuals experience disproportionately high rates of both traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and psychosocial traumas. However, these traumas have yet to be conceptualized together, leaving a chasm of research on how they interact and influence this population. The current study was the first to measure the effects of TBIs as well as psychosocial trauma among justice-involved men, within the context of executive functioning, history of justice involvement, and recidivism. A sample of men (N=95) from a private correctional facility were given the Ohio State University Traumatic Brain Injury Questionnaire (OSU-TBI-ID), the Lifetime Stressor Checklist- Revised (LSC-R), along with several widely used neuropsychological assessments that measure executive functioning. History of prior incarceration and recidivism at one-year post-release were attained through institutional files and available public records, respectively. Bivariate correlations, multivariate ordinary least squares regression, binary logistic regressions, demonstrated that neither TBI nor cumulative psychosocial trauma predicted executive functioning difficulties. Individuals who had a TBI history and psychosocial trauma were found to have an association with prior adult justice involvement. Findings can provide insight and education to mental health practitioners and correctional staff on the significance of cooccurring traumas and help individuals successfully remain out of the criminal justice system.

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