title: Relations between anger and DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.
abstract: The present study investigated the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anger. Anger co-occurring with PTSD is found to have a severe effect across a wide range of traumatic experiences, making this an important relationship to examine. The present study utilized data regarding dimensions of PTSD symptoms and anger collected from a non-clinical sample of 247 trauma-exposed participants. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to determine the underlying factor structure of both PTSD and anger by examining anger in the context of three models of PTSD. Results indicate that a five-factor representation of PTSD and one-factor representation of anger fit the data best. Additionally, anger demonstrated a strong relationship with the dysphoric arousal and negative alterations in cognitions and mood (NACM) factors; and dysphoric arousal was differentially related to anger. Clinical implications include potential need to reevaluate PTSD's diagnostic symptom structure and highlight the potential need to target and treat comorbid anger in individuals with PTSD. In regard to research, these results support the heterogeneity of PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Tory A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Durham
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Brianna M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Byllesby
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Ulster, Coleraine Campus, Northern Ireland, UK.
authors.forename: Cherie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Armour
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Forbes
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA. Electronic address: http://www.jon-elhai.com.
authors.forename: Jon D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Elhai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D057566:Self Report; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anger; DSM-5; Dysphoric arousal; Posttraumatic stress disorder