Conceptualisation, operationalisation, and assessment of offence-specific post-traumatic stress disorder in forensic populations: A systematic review.

Le résumé fourni par la source

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is typically conceptualised in relation to experiencing or witnessing traumatic events; however, individuals may also experience post-traumatic stress symptoms associated with perpetrating an offence. This phenomenon has been described using terms including offence-specific PTSD and perpetration-induced traumatic stress. Despite its potential relevance to forensic populations, there remains uncertainty regarding how offence-specific PTSD is conceptualised and how it has been operationalised and assessed within the existing literature. This systematic review will synthesise and critically evaluate the literature on the conceptualisation, operationalisation, and assessment of offence-specific PTSD in forensic populations. It will examine how the construct has been described and characterised, including the symptom domains and offence-related processes reported, and how these conceptualisations have been translated into assessment. The review will also examine the PTSD and trauma-related instruments used within the existing literature, and critically appraise the methodological quality of the evidence base. The review aims to clarify areas of conceptual and measurement consistency, variation, and uncertainty within the literature, identify limitations in the existing evidence base, and inform future research and assessment of offence-specific PTSD.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.