The Cycle of Trauma: Relationship Aggression in Male Vietnam Veterans With Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

1996 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina A. Byrne ◽  
David S. Riggs
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Vietnam Veterans ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Psychological Aggression ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Female Partners ◽  
Relationship Aggression ◽  
Increased Risk

This study examined the association between symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in male Vietnam veterans and their use of aggressive behavior in relationships with intimate female partners. Fifty couples participated in the study. Veterans reported on their PTSD symptoms, and veterans and partners completed measures assessing the veterans’ use of physical, verbal,’ and psychological aggression during the preceding year as well as measures of their own perceptions of problems in the relationship. Results indicated that PTSD symptomatology places veterans at increased risk for perpetrating relationship aggression against their partners. The association between veterans’ PTSD symptoms and their use of aggression in relationships was mediated by relationship problems. Clinical implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Violence and Hostility Among Families of Vietnam Veterans With Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 473-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Michael Glenn ◽  
Jean C. Beckham ◽  
Michelle E. Feldman ◽  
Angela C. Kirby ◽  
Michael A. Hertzberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Vietnam Veterans ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Violent Behavior ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
General Psychological Distress

The current study provides a portrait of emotional-behavioral functioning within a small sample of Vietnam veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), their partners, and older adolescent and adult children. Veterans, their partners and children reported moderate-low to moderate-high levels of violent behavior. In addition, partner and veteran hostility scores were elevated relative to gender and age matched norms. Partners also reported heightened levels of psychological maltreatment by veterans. Veterans’ combat exposure was positively correlated with hostility and violent behavior among children but unrelated to partner variables. Veterans’ reports of PTSD symptoms were positively associated with reports of hostility and violence among children, and hostility and general psychological distress among partners. Veterans’ violent behavior was also positively correlated with children’s violent behavior, but did not yield significant correlations with other child or partner variables. Findings are discussed in relation to prior work and directions for future research are addressed.

Factors Associated With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptomology Among Women Who Have Experienced Sexual Assault in Canada

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051986008
Author(s):  
Janice Du Mont ◽  
Holly Johnson ◽  
Cassandra Hill
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Dating Violence ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Sexually Assaulted

There is a dearth of information about the association of victim-related and assailant-related characteristics and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among sexually assaulted women. Recently, Statistics Canada included items measuring the possible presence of PTSD symptoms in their 2014 nationally representative General Social Survey on Victimization (GSS-V), for the purpose of improving the understanding of mental health impacts associated with sexual victimization. The present study used the GSS-V to examine the association of sociodemographic, health, and assailant characteristics and prior traumatic experiences in the form of physical or sexual dating violence, physical assault, stalking, childhood abuse, and witnessing of violence between parents with PTSD symptomology among sexually assaulted women. Among 319 women who reported experiencing at least one incident of sexual assault in the 12 months prior to the survey, 68.6% had experienced at least one negative emotional impact as a result, among whom, 43.6% reported past-month PTSD symptoms. Logistic regression modeling revealed that prior traumatic events in the form of physical or sexual dating violence, stalking, and having witnessed violence between parents were associated with higher odds of experiencing PTSD symptoms, as was having been sexually assaulted by a known assailant. In contrast, the odds of experiencing PTSD symptoms was lower for Aboriginal or visible minority women. The results suggest that PTSD symptoms in the near aftermath of sexual victimization are common, and there are a range of factors that contribute to the likelihood of developing these symptoms. Implications for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Posttraumatic stress disorder symptom trajectories within the first year following emergency department admissions: pooled results from the International Consortium to predict PTSD

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah R. Lowe ◽  
Andrew Ratanatharathorn ◽  
Betty S. Lai ◽  
Willem van der Mei ◽  
Anna C. Barbano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Interpersonal Trauma ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Symptom Trajectories ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract Background Research exploring the longitudinal course of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms has documented four modal trajectories (low, remitting, high, and delayed), with proportions varying across studies. Heterogeneity could be due to differences in trauma types and patient demographic characteristics. Methods This analysis pooled data from six longitudinal studies of adult survivors of civilian-related injuries admitted to general hospital emergency departments (EDs) in six countries (pooled N = 3083). Each study included at least three assessments of the clinician-administered PTSD scale in the first post-trauma year. Latent class growth analysis determined the proportion of participants exhibiting various PTSD symptom trajectories within and across the datasets. Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined demographic characteristics, type of event leading to the injury, and trauma history as predictors of trajectories differentiated by their initial severity and course. Results Five trajectories were found across the datasets: Low (64.5%), Remitting (16.9%), Moderate (6.7%), High (6.5%), and Delayed (5.5%). Female gender, non-white race, prior interpersonal trauma, and assaultive injuries were associated with increased risk for initial PTSD reactions. Female gender and assaultive injuries were associated with risk for membership in the Delayed (v. Low) trajectory, and lower education, prior interpersonal trauma, and assaultive injuries with risk for membership in the High (v. Remitting) trajectory. Conclusions The results suggest that over 30% of civilian-related injury survivors admitted to EDs experience moderate-to-high levels of PTSD symptoms within the first post-trauma year, with those reporting assaultive violence at increased risk of both immediate and longer-term symptoms.

Epidemiology of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adults

2012 ◽  
pp. 83-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi Breslau
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Vietnam War ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Vietnam Veterans ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Specific Response ◽  
Epidemiological Surveys

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was established in 1980, when it was incorporated in the DSM-III. The PTSD definition brackets a distinct set of stressors—traumatic events—from other stressful experiences and links it causally with a specific response, the PTSD syndrome. Explicit diagnostic criteria in DSM-III made it feasible to conduct large-scale epidemiological surveys on PTSD and other psychiatric disorders, using structured diagnostic interviews administered by nonclinicians. Epidemiologic research has been expanded from Vietnam veterans, who were the center of DSM-III PTSD study, to civilian populations and postwar regions worldwide. This chapter summarizes information on the prevalence estimates of PTSD in U.S. veterans of the Vietnam War, soldiers returning from deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan, and civilian populations. It outlines research findings on the course of PTSD, risk factors, comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders, and the risk for other posttrauma disoders. It concludes with recommendations for future research.

Risk of Dementia in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

2020 ◽  
pp. 089198872095708
Author(s):  
Alby Elias ◽  
Christopher Rowe ◽  
Malcolm Hopwood
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Vietnam Veterans ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Convincing Evidence ◽  
Dementia Syndrome ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Β Amyloid

Several studies have investigated the risk of dementia in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using a varying methodology. Epidemiological studies have found an increased risk of dementia with PTSD in Vietnam veterans as well as the general population. Laboratory studies reported the accelerated formation of β-amyloid and tau, which represent the primary pathology of Alzheimer’s dementia in animal models of PTSD. These investigations were conducted against a background of cognitive impairment and atrophy of the hippocampus and certain cortical areas in patients with PTSD. Very few studies have investigated the pathological basis in humans for the reported association of PTSD with dementia. This important gap in the literature has recently been partly addressed by very few studies that estimated the burden of β-amyloid and tau. The PET studies did not show an association between PTSD and the specific pathology of Alzheimer’s disease or signs of neurodegenerative diseases underlying other dementia syndromes. Another study demonstrated decreased plasma β-amyloid load and increased plasma β-amyloid 42/40 ratio in PTSD without PET evaluation. While PTSD is associated with an increased risk of dementia syndrome in general, there is no convincing evidence that it causes or accelerates the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease, which causes the most common type of dementia. Factors that may account for the association between PTSD and a clinical diagnosis of dementia are discussed in this review.

Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Family Functioning of Vietnam Veterans and Their Partners

2003 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 765-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynette Evans ◽  
Tony Mchugh ◽  
Malcolm Hopwood ◽  
Carol Watt
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Alcohol Abuse ◽  
Family Functioning ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Vietnam Veterans ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Statistical Program

Objective: This study examines the association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in terms of the three main symptom clusters (intrusion, avoidance and arousal), and the self-report of family functioning of Vietnam veterans and the self-report of family functioning of their partners. A second objective was to determine if depression, anger and alcohol abuse mediated between PTSD symptoms and family functioning. Method: Vietnam veterans and their partners completed a series of questionnaires as part of their participation in the inpatient and outpatient PTSD treatment program, in the Veterans Psychiatry Unit, at the Austin and Repatriation Hospital. Results: Data from 270 veterans and partners were used in the final analyses. The PTSD subscales were initially correlated with family functioning for veterans and family functioning for partners. Then two path diagrams were constructed and analyzed using the statistical program AMOS to test for mediating effects between PTSD symptoms and family functioning. For veterans there were significant initial correlations with all three subscales of the PTSD measure. In the path analysis when the mediating variables were included only the avoidance subscale of the PTSD measure remained directly associated with family functioning. The arousal PTSD subscale was mediated by anger. The measures of depression and anger were significantly associated with poor family functioning and the anger and the avoidance subscales were significantly associated with depression. In the second set of analyses conducted on data from partners, the PTSD symptoms of avoidance and arousal were initially correlated with family functioning. When the test for mediation was conducted none of the PTSD subscales remained associated with partners' self-report of family functioning. Posttraumatic stress disorder arousal and alcohol abuse were mediated by anger for partners' self-report of family functioning. Conclusions: Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms of avoidance for veterans, and comorbid symptoms of anger and depression for veterans, and anger on its own for partners appear to be important in the self-report of family functioning. These findings suggest that veterans and their partners have similar difficulties as couples with distressed relationships in the community.

Trauma Exposure, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Aggression Among Civilian Females

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051986089
Author(s):  
Rachel Wamser-Nanney ◽  
Hannah E. Walker ◽  
John T. Nanney
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Aggressive Behavior ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Trauma Exposure ◽  
Verbal Aggression ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Cumulative Trauma ◽  
Increased Risk

Trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have evinced ties to increased risk for aggressive behavior. However, very little information is known regarding the relations between trauma exposure, PTSD, and aggression among non-veteran women. Furthermore, research has not examined the associations between trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, and aggression using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) PTSD criteria. The primary aim of the current study was to investigate the relationships between trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, and aggression among women. The secondary aim was to examine the specific PTSD symptom clusters in relation to indices of aggression. A total of 217 civilian, trauma-exposed female undergraduate students participated in the study ( Mage = 24.30, SD = 6.83, 63.2% White). Higher levels of trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms corresponded with anger ( b = .47, 95% CI = [0.11-0.83]; b = .11, 95% CI = [0.05-0.16], respectively) and verbal aggression ( b = .50, 95% CI = [0.21-0.78]; b = .06, 95% CI = [0.01-0.10], respectively). PTSD symptoms, but not cumulative trauma exposure, was associated with hostility ( b = .23, 95% CI = [0.14-0.59]), whereas physical aggression was only related to trauma exposure ( b = .69, 95% CI = [0.31-1.06]). Furthermore, there was a significant indirect effect of cumulative trauma through PTSD symptoms on anger and verbal aggression ( b = .15, 95% CI = [0.05-0.32]; b = .09, 95% CI = [0.02-0.20], respectively). Trauma-exposed civilian females with higher levels of PTSD symptoms may be at increased risk for several indices of aggressive behavior. Furthermore, PTSD symptoms may better account for some, but not all, aspects of aggression in trauma-exposed women.

Interpersonal Style and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Female Victims of Dating Violence

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 522-535
Author(s):  
Nicola K. Bernard ◽  
Matthew M. Yalch ◽  
Brittany K. Lannert ◽  
Alytia A. Levendosky
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Dating Violence ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Interpersonal Style ◽  
Female Victims

Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are some of the most common mental health symptoms women experience following exposure to dating violence (DV). However, not all women who experience DV exhibit PTSD symptoms. One factor that may influence whether or not women exhibit PTSD symptoms in the aftermath of DV exposure is interpersonal style, often operationalized in terms of two orthogonal dimensions, warmth and dominance. In this study, we examined the main and moderating effects of warmth and dominance on the association between DV and PTSD symptoms using latent moderating structural equation modeling in a sample of 303 female college students who reported DV exposure in the past year. Results indicated that warmth exerted a main effect predicting fewer PTSD symptoms. In addition, dominance moderated the association between DV and PTSD symptoms such that at high levels of DV, women who were high on dominance reported fewer PTSD symptoms than did women who were low on dominance. These findings suggest that aspects of interpersonal style may promote resilience to symptoms of posttraumatic stress following DV exposure. Directions for future research are also discussed.

Genetics and Genomics of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Cusack ◽  
Christina Sheerin ◽  
Kaitlin Bountress ◽  
Monica Uddin ◽  
Nicole R. Nugent ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Molecular Genetic ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Complex Disorder ◽  
Molecular Features ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Genetics And Genomics

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex disorder; a range of molecular features likely contributes to individuals’ increased risk for, or resistance to, developing PTSD when exposed to trauma. The focus here is on studies that investigate molecular factors that may be associated with this disorder. This chapter reviews the existing studies on molecular genetic, epigenetic, and gene expression associations with PTSD. This chapter also reviews novel statistical approaches used with genome-, methylome-, and expression-wide data. Future research in this rapidly evolving area should focus on the combined examination of genetic sequence, epigenetic effects, and gene expression to obtain a more complete picture of the systems biology of PTSD.

Posttraumatic Anger, Recalled Peritraumatic Emotions, and PTSD in Victims of Violent Crime

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (17) ◽  
pp. 3561-3579 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. J. Kunst ◽  
F. W. Winkel ◽  
S. Bogaerts
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Ptsd Symptom ◽  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Threat Perceptions

A mixed cross-sectional and longitudinal design was employed to explore the association between posttraumatic anger and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; symptoms) in victims of civilian violence. It was speculated that this relationship is mainly due to concurrent recalled peritraumatic emotions. Such emotions may be interpreted to result from anger-rooted threat perceptions and to share similarities with posttraumatic intrusion symptoms. In addition, predictors of PTSD maintenance were investigated. Cross-sectional data indicated that posttraumatic anger and several indices of PTSD were highly interconnected. Recalled peritraumatic emotions partly accounted for the relation between posttraumatic anger and posttraumatic intrusions ( n = 177). Only posttraumatic intrusions were associated with PTSD symptom persistence at follow-up ( n = 56). Findings were discussed in light of study limitations and directions for future research.

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