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A concise measure of anger in combat‐related posttraumatic stress disorder
Author(s) -
Forbes David,
Hawthorne Graeme,
Elliott Peter,
McHugh Tony,
Biddle Dirk,
Creamer Mark,
Novaco Raymond W.
Publication year - 2004
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 - 10.1023/b:jots.0000029268.22161.bd
Subject(s) - anger , psychology , clinical psychology , posttraumatic stress , psychometrics , scale (ratio) , disposition , convergent validity , psychiatry , social psychology , physics , quantum mechanics , internal consistency
There is a need for a brief specific measure of anger for use in assessment of posttraumatic mental health problems. One unpublished short scale is the Dimensions of Anger Reactions (DAR; R. Novaco, 1975). This study examined the psychometric properties of the DAR using intake and 12‐month data for 192 Australian Vietnam veterans with combat‐related PTSD. Results showed the DAR to be unidimensional, reliable, and sensitive to change over time, and removal of two items improved the scale's properties. The DAR measures anger disposition directed towards others. Assessment of convergent validity indicated that the DAR primarily measures Trait Anger. Results suggest that the DAR is a psychometrically strong measure, potentially useful for the evaluation of anger in PTSD.