Citation

Kunst MJ, Winkel FW, Bogaerts S. J. Interpers. Violence 2011; 26(17): 3561-3579.

Affiliation

Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0886260511403753

PMID

21602211

Abstract

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.

Language: en