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Funded Projects

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Therapy for Wisconsin Correctional Facilities

Outcome Report
Awarded in 2019
Collaborative Health Sciences Program
Updated Jun 15, 2026

At a Glance

Despite the pressing need for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment among incarcerated individuals, there is virtually no research examining the efficacy of such therapies in correctional settings. Researchers at UW–Madison partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) to implement and evaluate cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for incarcerated individuals, a promising PTSD intervention due to the cost- and time-effectiveness of its group format. Overall, study data indicated that group CPT in Wisconsin correctional settings is feasible, acceptable and effective.

The Challenge

Many incarcerated individuals in Wisconsin state correctional facilities have PTSD, a mental health disorder that develops in people who have experienced emotionally traumatic events, such as neglect or abuse. In fact, rates of PTSD among incarcerated individuals are estimated to be more than 10 times higher than in the general population. Untreated PTSD is linked to serious outcomes like higher rates of suicide, victimization and recidivism. Thus, better treatment is needed to improve mental health and ensure better outcomes for incarcerated individuals.

Project Goals

The long-term goal of this program is to increase the delivery of evidence-based treatment for PTSD in the correctional settings. This project addressed three specific aims:

  1. Establish the feasibility of delivering CPT to incarcerated individuals with PTSD.
  2. Determine the effectiveness of CPT in reducing PTSD symptom severity.
  3. Identify reputed psychological mechanisms of response to CPT.

Results

The project team recruited incarcerated men and women in Wisconsin state correctional facilities to complete a 12-session group CPT course. In the first phase of the study, therapists from the UW research team provided treatment to six CPT groups in a women’s correctional facility and six groups in a men’s correctional facility. Participants’ retention and satisfaction were high, and they experienced no significant safety concerns related to the treatment. In addition, there was a strong and clinically significant reduction in PTSD symptoms after completing CPT.

In the second phase of the study, DOC psychologists provided treatment in collaboration with the UW research team for six CPT groups at a women’s correctional facility and one group at a men’s correctional facility. Results from these groups were similarly positive to the first phase. Moreover, DOC therapists were highly satisfied with the treatment, noted numerous positive changes among participants after completing CPT and recommended providing the treatment to their colleagues.

The success of this project has allowed the team to obtain external funding to expand group CPT to at least six correctional facilities across Wisconsin and provide treatment to over 600 incarcerated individuals.

More about the Collaborative Health Sciences Program

More Funded Projects

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Collaborative Health Sciences Program

Leaving Prison and Connecting With Medical Care: Medicaid Expansion, Treatment Access and Outcomes for Opioid Use Disorder and Hepatitis C Infection

Outcome Report
Awarded in 2018
This project, Leaving Prison and Connecting with Medical Care, aimed to evaluate the impacts of two changes to Wisconsin Medicaid policy on health care access, health outcomes and reincarceration for formerly incarcerated individuals. Incarcerated populations have high rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and opioid use disorder (OUD), and untreated HCV and OUD lead to severe health and social consequences. Medicaid coverage could reduce adverse health outcomes and reincarceration in former prisoners by improving access to treatment. In 2014, Medicaid eligibility was extended to all poor adults, and in 2015, pre-release Medicaid enrollment assistance was introduced within state prisons, though there has been little research done to assess the effects of these changes on criminal justice-impacted individuals. The project successfully achieved its goals, demonstrating that expanded eligibility and pre-release enrollment assistance increased the number of Medicaid applications before and enrollments at the time of release. The policies improved coverage for both the general population and those with histories of substance use, and they were associated with a 2.5 percent decline in reincarcerations and a 5.2 percent increase in employment procurement. Additionally, the changes to Medicaid policy significantly increased the likelihood of outpatient visits post-release for individuals with substance use histories, although overall substance use disorder-related care remained low.
research icon: microscope and stethoscope
Collaborative Health Sciences Program

Evaluating a Novel Follow-up Intervention to Improve the Delivery of Follow-up Care for Low-Risk Breast Cancer Survivors in Wisconsin

Awarded in 2022
This project, Evaluating a Novel Follow-up Intervention to Improve the Delivery of Follow-up Care for Low-Risk Breast Cancer Survivors in Wisconsin, will implement a novel patient-centered intervention, known as REASSURE, to optimize the delivery of follow-up care to early-stage breast cancer survivors who are at low risk of recurrence. Early-stage survivors comprise 60% of Wisconsin’s more than 70,000 breast cancer survivors. This intervention is designed to better prepare and support early-stage breast cancer survivors while also reducing the burden of unnecessary medical visits that are especially difficult for patients who are socioeconomically disadvantaged or reside in rural areas. The study has the potential to advance cancer care more broadly through adaptation to other cancers where frequent follow-up clinic visits have limited benefit.