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Psychological effects of Capital Punishment
In a 2019 study, “The psychological effects of capital punishment upon those directly involved in it, including prisoners and their families, and prison personnel have been largely ignored” (Watkins, 2019, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology). Texas has the most executions per capita in America (Watkins, and al., 2019, this is especially concerning. Another study published in the Journal of Social and Political Psychology in 2021 found that exposure to capital punishment is associated with increased anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms among prison staff (Bronson & Berzofsky, 2021). This can lead to significant mental and physical health problems for these people. The death penalty is also known to be harmful for the loved ones of death row prisoners. A study published in the journal Psychological Trauma in 2020 found that family members of death row inmates experience elevated levels of stress and trauma that can lead to long-term psychological problems (Harrison & Bluestone, 2020).
