Traumatic dreams in a women's prison setting

This study was constructed to (a) ascertain the incidence and character of traumatic dreams in a women's prison, (b) determine whether this was associated strongly with a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); and (c) determine whether this symptom was being treated.

Inmates at a women's prison in Wisconsin were surveyed.

The response rate was > 75% for the available population. Greater than 88% of the respondents had experienced a traumatic event; > 45% had experienced six or more. Seventy-four percent of the inmates were experiencing traumatic dreams at the time of the survey. Many (> 30%) experienced these nightly and as extreme (19%). Of inmates experiencing traumatic dreams, only about 50% were diagnosed with PTSD, and of these, 84% were willing to obtain treatment, not yet provided.

There is a high incidence in this women's prison of traumatic dreams. This is far more prevalent than the diagnosis of PTSD. This symptom may be undertreated by prison mental health professionals both behaviorally and pharmacologically and should become a mental health screening question on admission despite the presence or absence of a diagnosis of PTSD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).