NCJ Number
210305
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 17 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2002 Pages: 1263-1273
Date Published
December 2002
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the effects of anger on individuals diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Abstract
While anger is only 1 of the 17 symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, it has comprised much of the research attention regarding PTSD. Indeed, previous research has suggested that anger is intimately related to the development and maintenance of PTSD. The current study investigated whether individuals with PTSD who reported high levels of subjective anger and inappropriately expressed anger would be more impaired in terms of their PTSD symptoms than individuals with lower reported levels of expressive anger. Participants were 1,300 psychiatric outpatients seeking treatment at the Rhode Island Hospital Department of Outpatient Psychiatry; participants completed the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders (SCID) and the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders (SIDP). Participants were grouped according to levels of subjective and inappropriately expressed anger. Chi-square tests compared PTSD groups on demographic variables and diagnoses commonly associated with anger and PTSD. After controlling for comorbid diagnoses, the results indicated that the participants with elevated subjective and expressed anger were more impaired on global measures and on behavioral functioning. Future research should replicate this study using validated measures of irritability and aggression. Tables, references