The Association between Alcohol Dependence, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, and Aggression

Abstract

Aggression imparts a tremendous burden on society through violence, abuse, and damage to property and life. Alcohol dependence (AD) has been shown to be associated with increased aggression, although this has been explored in relatively few studies. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has also been shown to be associated with aggression, and alcohol use or dependence may mediate the association between PTSD and aggression. In this study, two groups with AD (non-treatment-seeking participants and inpatient treatment-seeking) were compared to healthy controls on a measure of self-reported aggression. In addition, within the inpatients, a mediation model tested whether the association between PTSD and aggression was mediated by severity of alcohol dependence. Consistent with our hypothesis, the results suggested that AD is associated with self-reported aggression. Individuals with AD reported higher levels of self-reported aggression than those without AD. Moreover, within inpatients with AD, severity of AD was positively associated with self-reported aggression.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 15, 2017
Accession Number
AD1128241

Entities

People

  • Jared Bollinger

Organizations

  • Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Alcohol Consumption
  • Alcoholism
  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Behavioral Sciences
  • Brain
  • Crime
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Drug Abuse
  • Ethnic Groups
  • Health Services
  • Liver Diseases
  • Mental Disorders
  • Mental Health
  • Personality Disorders
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychology
  • Sexual Assault
  • Social Psychology
  • Societies
  • Substance-Related Disorders
  • Surveys
  • Traumatic Stress Disorder

Fields of Study

  • Medicine
  • Psychology

Readers

  • Mental Health of Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Risk Factors, Prevalence, Symptoms, and Treatment.
  • Psychological Intervention/Treatment for Stress, Anxiety, PTSD, and Related Emotional and Cognitive Health Symptoms.
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Cognitive Aging in the Guam and Border Populations Affected by Alzheimer's Disease and Tau-Associated Dementias.