Trauma in the courtroom: the role of prior trauma exposure and mental health on stress and emotional responses in jurors

Objectives

Prior research indicates that jury duty can be distressing for some jurors. This study examined: (1) the influence of prior trauma characteristics (type, exposure, time since trauma), medical fear and mental health difficulties on stress and emotional responses during a mock trial and 1 week later; and (2) associations between early stress reactions during a trial on subsequent stress and emotional reactivity after exposure to skeletal evidence and 1 week later.

Methods

Mock jurors (n = 180) completed baseline self‐report mental health measures, read a summary of a murder case and were then exposed to graphic skeletal evidence. Stress and/or emotional responses were collected at baseline, after reading the case summary, before and after viewing the skeletal evidence and 7 days post‐trial.

Results

Participants reported a wide range of prior traumatic experiences, with nearly half reporting pre‐existing mental health difficulties. Average traumatic stress symptoms tripled from baseline to follow‐up, with 44% of participants meeting PTSD‐type criteria 7 days later. Medical fear and mental health difficulties were positively associated with some stress and/or emotional responses throughout the trial, with mixed findings concerning trauma characteristics, stress and emotional reactivity. Initial stress and emotional responses to case evidence were linked to later stress and emotional reactions, after accounting for pre‐existing trauma and mental health characteristics.

Conclusions

Past trauma experiences, mental health difficulties and immediate stress responses during a trial can exacerbate emotional and stress reactions. Addressing the psychological impacts of pre‐existing trauma symptoms could improve juror well‐being during this important civic duty.