Anger and Psychotrauma: Data From Military and Civilians

Recruiting

• Conditions: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
• Interventions: Behavioral: Structured clinical interview; Behavioral: Psychological questionnaires

• Registration Number: NCT04518267
• Lead Sponsor: Direction Centrale du Service de Santé des Armées

Brief Summary

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is mainly associated with several emotions such as anger, guilt or shame. By interfering with psychotherapeutic work these emotions can be problematic. When suffering from PTSD, pervasive anger can also have relational consequences. Anger and PTSD are mutually reinforcing: anger can aggravate PTSD symptoms and aggressive behaviours, and conversely, PTSD promotes high levels of anger and aggression. A few explanatory hypotheses have been proposed. In terms of personality factors, anger-treatment may promote the severity of PTSD symptoms and the development of aggressive behaviours. In terms of stressors, exposure to combat and combat-related moral harms could play a role in the relationship between PTSD, anger and traumatic experiences over the course of life. Finally, in clinical terms, in the presence of PTSD, anger and aggressive behaviours may be triggered by substance abuse and depression.

Within the Anglo-Saxon literature, it is recognized that both civilians and military personnel with PTSD exhibit high levels of anger, with a possible predominance among military personnel. While we know that anger management mechanisms can be strongly influenced by cultural aspects and the type of event, there is no data in the French population.

This study proposes to fill in our knowledge of anger-PSTD relationships in the French population and by comparing civilian and military population.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2020-08-15
• Study First Submitted QC: 2020-08-15
• Study First Posted: 2020-08-19
• Study Start: 2020-09-21
• Status Verified: 2023-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-04-27
• Last Update Posted: 2023-04-28
• Primary Completion: 2024-09
• Study Completion: 2024-09

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 50

Inclusion Criteria

• To have a PTSD diagnosis
• To be at least 18 years of age

Exclusion Criteria

• To suffer from trauma-related physical condition (including Traumatic Brain Injury)

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Military group	Structured clinical interview	Participants with military status
Military group	Psychological questionnaires	Participants with military status
Civilian group	Structured clinical interview	Participants with civilian status
Civilian group	Psychological questionnaires	Participants with civilian status

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
PTSD severity score	At enrollment	Clinician-Administered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Scale (CAPS-5) will be used to assess PTSD severity score. CAPS-5 score may range from 0 to 120 with higher scores meaning greater PTSD severity.
Anxiety score	At enrollment	Spielberger's State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-II (STAXI-II) will be used to assess anxiety
Number of life traumatic events	At enrollment	Life Event Checklist (LEC) will be used to assess the number of traumatic events experienced by participants throughout their lifetime

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Aggressivity score	At enrollment	Aggressivity Questionnaire (AQ12) will be used to assess aggressivity score. AQ12 score may range from 6 to 72 with higher scores meaning higher aggressivity levels.
Anger Rumination score	At enrollment	Anger Rumination Scale (ARS) will be used to assess anger rumination score. ARS score may range from 19 to 76 with higher scores corresponding to greater levels of anger rumination.
Alcohol consumption score	At enrollment	Alcohol Use Identification Test (A.U.D.I.T.) will be used to assess alcohol consumption score Score ≥ 5: at risk use; Score ≥ 8 (7 in women): harmful use; Score ≥ 12 (11 in women): likely alcohol dependence

Trial Locations

Locations (8)

Centre hospitalier d'Arras; 🇫🇷 Arras, France

Centre régional psychotrauma Hauts-de-France; 🇫🇷 Lille, France

Centre Hospitalier Léon-Jean Grégory de Thuir; 🇫🇷 Thuir, France

Groupe Hospitalier Paul Guiraud; 🇫🇷 Villejuif, France

Centre Hospitalier de Cadillac; 🇫🇷 Lormont, France

3ème Centre médical des Armées; 🇫🇷 Lille, France

CHU de Nice; 🇫🇷 Nice, France

CHU-Lenval hôpitaux; 🇫🇷 Nice, France