Anger, dissociation, and PTSD among male veterans entering into PTSD treatment

PTSD Trajectory, Comorbidity, and Utilization of Mental Health Services among Reserves

“…While deployment-related PTSD was associated with a higher prevalence of anger than civilianrelated PTSD among both groups, women showed an increased elevation in anger associated with both civilian-and deployment-related PTSD compared to men. These findings are consistent with Kulkarni et al's research with treatment-seeking male veterans (38% of whom had served in OEF/OIF), which found that anger was a significant predictor of PTSD symptom severity (Kulkarni et al, 2012). Yet while Kulkarni et al suggest that anger may be a particular problem for male veterans because of the consistency of anger with a traditional male gender role, our research suggests that anger is as much, if not more, of a problem for female service members as it is for male.…”

“…Consistent with studies in veteran populations, we found that anger was strongly associated with PTSD in this population of current Reserve and National Guard service members (Beckham et al, 1998;Gondolf & Foster, 1991;Kulkarni et al, 2012;Lasko et al, 1994;McFall et al, 1999;Taft, Kaloupek et al, 2007;Taft, Street et al, 2007;Taft, Vogt et al, 2007).…”

“…Studies with veterans, some from the Vietnam era and some more recent, have consistently found that problems with anger are associated with PTSD (Beckham, Feldman, & Kirby, 1998;Elbogen et al, 2010;Gondolf & Foster, 1991;Jakupcak et al, 2007;Kulkarni, Porter, & Rauch, 2012;Lasko, Gurvits, Kuhne, Orr, & Pitman, 1994;McFall, Wright, Donovan, & Raskind, 1999;Taft, Kaloupek et al, 2007;Taft, Street et al, 2007;Taft, Vogt, Marshall, Panuzio, & Niles, 2007;Worthen, 2011). However, many of these studies are limited in their inference because they examine the relations between anger and PTSD among non-representative groups of veterans, including those in treatment for psychosocial problems, substance abuse, and domestic violence.…”

Ten reasons for conceiving and classifying posttraumatic stress disorder as a dissociative disorder

“…For example, anger and dissociative symptoms statistically predicted PTSD, hyperarousal, and avoidance/numbing severity, and dissociative symptoms predicted intrusive severity (Kulkarni et al 2012). Cognitive-emotional and sensorimotor dissociative symptoms correlated with PTSD symptoms in a variety of populations (e.g., Schild and Dalenberg 2012).…”

Dissociative subtype of DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder in U.S. veterans

“…veterans are an ideal group in which to evaluate these aims given their relatively high exposure to trauma, and ongoing efforts by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DOD) to address the negative effects of trauma on risk for PTSD and other mental health disorders (Cornum et al, 2011;Hoge et al, 2006;Seal et al, 2009;Tsai et al, 2012). Available data suggest high levels of dissociative symptoms among Vietnam-era veterans with PTSD (Douglas, 1992;Marmar et al, 1994), and that dissociative symptoms in this population are associated with exposure to childhood and adult sexual trauma (Wolf et al, 2012b); greater PTSD symptom severity (Kulkarni et al, 2012); and higher levels of comorbid personality disorders, at least among female veterans (Wolf et al, 2012a). High levels of dissociative symptomatology of other trauma-affected populations have additionally been linked to increased rates of suicidal ideation and attempts (Foote et al, 2008), as well as reduced response to PTSD treatments (Cloitre et al, 2012;Lanius et al, 2012;Resick et al, 2012).…”