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Aggression among combat veterans: Relationships with combat exposure and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, dysphoria, and anxiety
Author(s) -
Taft Casey T.,
Vogt Dawne S.,
Marshall Amy D.,
Panuzio Jillian,
Niles Barbara L.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.20197
Subject(s) - aggression , dysphoria , anxiety , clinical psychology , psychology , psychiatry , posttraumatic stress , anxiety disorder , population , medicine , environmental health
Prior research has revealed heightened aggressive behavior among veterans with PTSD. This study tested a model examining the interrelationships among combat exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, dysphoric symptoms, and anxiety symptoms in predicting aggressive behavior in a sample of 265 male combat veterans seeking diagnostic assessment of PTSD. Combat exposure was indirectly associated with aggression primarily through its relationship with PTSD symptoms. Symptoms of PTSD were directly related to aggression, and indirectly related to aggression through dysphoric symptoms. Results highlight the role of PTSD symptoms and dysphoric symptoms with respect to aggressive behavior among this population, and suggest the relevance of aggression theory to the study of combat veterans.