Citation

Elbogen EB, Johnson SC, Newton VM, Fuller S, Wagner HR, Beckham JC. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 2013; 201(10): 872-876.

Affiliation

*Department of Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry Program and Clinic, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Medicine; †VISN 6 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Durham VA Medical Center, North Carolina; and ‡Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/NMD.0b013e3182a6e76b

PMID

24080674

Abstract

This study, using a longitudinal design, attempted to identify whether self-reported problems with violence were empirically associated with future violent behavior among Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans and whether and how collateral informant interviews enhanced the risk assessment process. Data were gathered from N = 300 participants (n = 150 dyads of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans and family/friends). The veterans completed baseline and follow-up interviews 3 years later on average, and family/friends provided collateral data on dependent measures at follow-up. Analyses showed that aggression toward others at follow-up was associated with younger age, posttraumatic stress disorder, combat exposure, and a history of having witnessed parental violence growing up. Self-reported problems controlling violence at baseline had robust statistical power in predicting aggression toward others at follow-up. Collateral report enhanced detection of dependent variables: 20% of cases positive for violence toward others would have been missed relying only on self-report. The results identify a subset of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans at higher risk for problematic postdeployment adjustment and indicate that the veterans' self-report of violence was useful in predicting future aggression. Underreporting of violence was not evidenced by most veterans but could be improved upon by obtaining collateral information.

Language: en