Biomaterial Database

Aggression and its correlates in Vietnam veterans with and without chronic posttraumatic stress disorder. 1994

N B Lasko, and T V Gurvits, and A A Kuhne, and S P Orr, and R K Pitman

Veterans Administration Medical Center, Manchester, NH 03103.

This study measured self-reported aggression, hostility, and anger in Vietnam combat veterans with (n = 27) and without (n = 15) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). On the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory, Past Feelings and Acts of Violence Scale, Episodic Dyscontrol Scale, and State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), PTSD subjects scored significantly higher than non-PTSD subjects, whose scores fell in the range reported for normative, noncombat populations. The PTSD versus non-PTSD group differences were not explained by combat exposure, which did not correlate significantly with the psychometric aggression measures. These findings suggest that increased aggression in war veterans is more appropriately regarded as a property of PTSD, rather than a direct consequence of military combat. The association between compromised neurologic and neuropsychologic status and the psychometric measures was modest and explained little of the group differences.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007508	Irritable Mood	Abnormal or excessive excitability with easily triggered anger, annoyance, or impatience.	Mood, Irritable,Irritable Moods,Moods, Irritable
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010552	Personality Assessment	The determination and evaluation of personality attributes by interviews, observations, tests, or scales. Articles concerning personality measurement are considered to be within scope of this term.	Assessment, Personality,Assessments, Personality,Personality Assessments
D010555	Personality Inventory	Check list, usually to be filled out by a person about himself, consisting of many statements about personal characteristics which the subject checks.	Edwards Personal Preference Schedule,Myers-Briggs Type Indicator,Indicator, Myers-Briggs Type,Inventories, Personality,Inventory, Personality,Myers Briggs Type Indicator,Personality Inventories
D011594	Psychometrics	Assessment of psychological variables by the application of mathematical procedures.	Psychometric
D003130	Combat Disorders	Neurotic reactions to unusual, severe, or overwhelming military stress.	Neuroses, War,War Neuroses,Combat Neuroses,Combat Neurosis,Combat Stress Disorders,Shell Shock,War Neurosis,Combat Disorder,Combat Stress Disorder,Disorder, Combat,Disorder, Combat Stress,Disorders, Combat,Disorders, Combat Stress,Neuroses, Combat,Neurosis, Combat,Neurosis, War,Shell Shocks,Shock, Shell,Shocks, Shell,Stress Disorder, Combat,Stress Disorders, Combat
D006791	Hostility	Tendency to feel anger toward and to seek to inflict harm upon a person or group.	Hostilities
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults