Citation

Heinz AJ, Makin-Byrd K, Blonigen DM, Reilly P, Timko C. J. Subst. Abuse Treat. 2014; 50: 59-66.

Affiliation

Center for Innovation to Implementation, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jsat.2014.10.014

PMID

25468005

Abstract

This study examined posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity and impulsivity as predictors of aggressive behavior among 133 male military veterans entering substance abuse treatment who endorsed difficulty controlling anger in the past year. At treatment intake, participants completed measures assessing PTSD symptom severity, impulsivity and aggressive behavior. Perpetration of aggressive behavior was reassessed 4months later.

RESULTS from multivariate models indicated that PTSD symptom severity and impulsivity explained unique variance in aggressive behavior at intake but not follow-up. Mediation models indicated that the association between PTSD symptom severity and aggressive behavior was accounted for by impulsivity. The identification of impulsivity as a key mediator between trauma symptoms and aggressive behavior has significant clinical and research implications. Based on these findings, clinicians are encouraged to consider a standard assessment of impulsivity and the selection of interventions that target impulsivity as a trans-diagnostic process among at-risk client populations.

Language: en