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Internalizing and externalizing personality styles and psychopathology in OEF–OIF veterans
Author(s) -
Rielage Jennifer Klosterman,
Hoyt Tim,
Renshaw Keith
Publication year - 2010
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.20528
Subject(s) - psychopathology , psychology , depression (economics) , clinical psychology , psychiatry , anxiety , personality , population , medicine , social psychology , environmental health , economics , macroeconomics
Previous research with other trauma populations demonstrated that internalizing and externalizing personality styles are associated with different PTSD comorbidities. The present study tested this association in two distinct Operation Enduring Freedom–Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) combat samples. Cluster analysis was used to categorize subtypes, which were compared on measures of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and substance use. Internalizers showed the highest rates of PTSD and depression. Externalizers had higher rates of alcohol problems in one sample only, whereas the other sample showed more substance misuse. In general, these findings suggest that this method of classifying trauma survivors is useful in OEF/OIF populations. Results suggest some differences across this population in terms of how substance use issues are expressed in externalizers.