Could Dementia in the National Security Workforce Create a Security Threat?
Abstract
The U.S. government entrusts classified material to individuals who possess a security clearance (Department of Defense Manual [DoDM] 5200.01, 2013). But how do these trusted individuals remain good custodians of that classified information if they are impaired? Two trends might contribute to a new type of national security threat: (1) People are living longer, and (2) people are working later in life. As a result, the workforce might experience a higher prevalence of dementia than in past generations. Taken together, we believe that an increasing number of cleared personnel that is, personnel who hold or have held security clearances have or will have dementia. Taken together, we believe an increasing number of cleared personnel those who hold or previously held a security clearance have or will have dementia. The purpose of this Perspective is to describe ways in which current and retired cleared personnel with dementia could pose a threat to global security and to provide a framework for studying this complex issue.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 05, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1198128
Entities
People
- Kristie L. Gore
- Regina A. Shih
- Richard S. Girven
- Samantha Cherney
Organizations
- RAND Corporation