| Autor: |
Massa AA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.; Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina., Sippel L; National Center for PTSD, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, White River Junction, Vermont.; Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Department of Psychiatry, Hanover, New Hampshire., Kirby CM; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina., Melkonian AJ; East Tennessee State University, Quillen College of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine., Back SE; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.; Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina., Flanagan JC; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.; Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina. |
| Abstrakt: |
History of childhood maltreatment is common among military veterans, particularly those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Childhood maltreatment is associated with negative psychosocial outcomes, including use of aggression during adulthood. Prior research has identified maladaptive cognitions as a key mediating variable in the association between early life trauma and aggression. Given the high rates of comorbid PTSD and AUD among veterans and the increased risk of aggression when these conditions co-occur, it is critical to examine malleable intervention targets, such as maladaptive cognitions, for this population. The current secondary analyses examined the mediating role of hostile cognitions on the associations between childhood maltreatment and adulthood aggression in a sample of dually diagnosed veterans. Participants were veterans with co-occurring PTSD and AUD ( N = 73) who were enrolled in a larger randomized controlled laboratory trial. Participants completed self-report measures of childhood maltreatment, hostile cognitions, and aggressive behavior. Three models were tested to examine the mediating effect of hostility on the associations between childhood maltreatment, abuse, and neglect on aggression. Results indicated that hostility fully mediated the effect of maltreatment on aggression and partially mediated the effect of childhood abuse on aggression. The effect of childhood neglect on aggression was nonsignificant. Hostile cognitions may be a critical intervention target for veterans with co-occurring PTSD and AUD and history of childhood maltreatment, particularly for those who have experienced higher levels of childhood abuse. |
