Factors Associated With Police Contact in Veterans With PTSD

A small number of veterans commit crimes and become involved in the criminal justice system. Emerging literature identifying empirically supported risk factors suggests that both general (i.e., sociodemographic and mental health) and veteran-specific (e.g., traumatic brain injury [TBI] and combat exposure) factors are associated with veteran aggression and criminal justice involvement. Yet, there is little exploration of risk factors for police contact in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Understanding how combat exposure, PTSD, and other factors common among veterans are or are not related to police contact is critical to inform preventative interventions. The current study examined the associations among sociodemographic, mental health, deployment-related factors, and recent police contact in a sample of veterans with PTSD (N = 100) recruited for a larger study on suicide risk. The impact of general (i.e., age, education, income level, substance use) and veteran-specific (i.e., PTSD symptoms, TBI, and combat exposure) factors on past 6-month police contact was examined using a logistic regression model. Only younger age was independently associated with police contact. However, a history of TBI had a trending association (p,.10). In contrast to the literature, combat exposure and PTSD symptom severity were not associated with police contact. The findings suggest initial prevention efforts should focus on younger veterans and those with a history of TBI.