A Concise Measure of Anger in Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Authors: Forbes D.¹; Hawthorne G.²; Elliott P.³; Mchugh T.⁴; Biddle D.²; Creamer M.²; Novaco R.W.⁵

Source: Journal of Traumatic Stress, Volume 17, Number 3, June 2004 , pp. 249-256(8)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

There is a need for a brief specific measure of anger for use in assessment of posttraumatic mental health problems. One unpublished short scale is the Dimensions of Anger Reactions (DAR; R. Novaco, 1975). This study examined the psychometric properties of the DAR using intake and 12-month data for 192 Australian Vietnam veterans with combat-related PTSD. Results showed the DAR to be unidimensional, reliable, and sensitive to change over time, and removal of two items improved the scale's properties. The DAR measures anger disposition directed towards others. Assessment of convergent validity indicated that the DAR primarily measures Trait Anger. Results suggest that the DAR is a psychometrically strong measure, potentially useful for the evaluation of anger in PTSD.

Keywords: anger; PTSD; measure

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:JOTS.0000029268.22161.bd

Affiliations: 1: Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health and Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia;, Email: dforbes@unimelb.edu.au 2: Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health and Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3: Department of Psychology, Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria, Australia 4: Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre 5: Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine

Publication date: 2004-06-01