Trauma therapies in justice settings show promise, with important uncertainty
Mental health findings were encouraging for EMDR and Seeking Safety, but behavioral outcomes were inconsistent and study limitations prevented firm conclusions.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The review suggests that EMDR therapy and the Seeking Safety program may improve symptoms of post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression among adults involved with the justice system. Evidence for behavioral change was inconsistent. The authors explicitly caution that methodological weaknesses prevent definitive conclusions, so these findings remain promising rather than established proof of effectiveness.
The authors report methodological limitations without detailing them in the abstract. Most studies involved women in US prisons, which limits how confidently the findings can be extended to other populations and settings.
What the review covered
The researchers examined trauma-focused approaches across prisons, forensic hospitals and probation settings. They considered different demographic groups, but the available research was concentrated in a narrower population than the review's overall scope.
Symptoms and behavior differ
The abstract separates encouraging mental health findings from inconsistent behavioral results. Improvement in reported trauma, anxiety or depression symptoms therefore should not be treated as evidence that an intervention also changes offending or other behavior.
The original publication
The Effectiveness of Trauma-Focused Interventions With Individuals Who Perpetrated Crimes: A Systematic Review.
Sousa M, Gonçalves T, Caridade S et al.
Trauma Violence Abuse · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41449597
- Record checked
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