Search

Trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have evinced ties to increased risk for aggressive behavior. However, very little information is known regarding the relations between trauma exposure, PTSD, and aggression among non-veteran women. Furthermore, research has not examined the associations between trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, and aggression using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5 ) PTSD criteria. The primary aim of the current study was to investigate the relationships between trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, and aggression among women. The secondary aim was to examine the specific PTSD symptom clusters in relation to indices of aggression. A total of 217 civilian, trauma-exposed female undergraduate students participated in the study ( M age = 24.30, SD = 6.83, 63.2% White). Higher levels of trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms corresponded with anger ( b = .47, 95% CI = [0.11-0.83]; b = .11, 95% CI = [0.05-0.16], respectively) and verbal aggression ( b = .50, 95% CI = [0.21-0.78]; b = .06, 95% CI = [0.01-0.10], respectively). PTSD symptoms, but not cumulative trauma exposure, was associated with hostility ( b = .23, 95% CI = [0.14-0.59]), whereas physical aggression was only related to trauma exposure ( b = .69, 95% CI = [0.31-1.06]). Furthermore, there was a significant indirect effect of cumulative trauma through PTSD symptoms on anger and verbal aggression ( b = .15, 95% CI = [0.05-0.32]; b = .09, 95% CI = [0.02-0.20], respectively). Trauma-exposed civilian females with higher levels of PTSD symptoms may be at increased risk for several indices of aggressive behavior. Furthermore, PTSD symptoms may better account for some, but not all, aspects of aggression in trauma-exposed women.

Gun violence is a serious public health concern that is currently grossly understudied. Gun attitudes are a potential risk factor for gun violence; however, factors related to gun attitudes have not been identified. Mental illness such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is commonly discussed as a key factor in gun violence, despite research lacking in this area, and it is unknown whether symptoms of PTSD and probable PTSD are associated with more positive attitudes toward guns. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relations between PTSD symptoms and gun attitudes among 265 undergraduate students who experienced at least one interpersonal traumatic event ( M age = 24.69 years, SD = 7.15 years, 75.6% female, 61.1% White). Path analysis revealed that individuals with PTSD symptoms above clinical cutoff were not more likely to have more positive gun attitudes. However, the PTSD symptom clusters evinced distinct relations with gun attitudes. Intrusion and avoidance symptoms were related to gun beliefs regarding protection, with intrusion symptoms being linked to a stronger belief that guns provide protection from crime and victimization (β = .23), whereas avoidance symptoms were inversely associated with this belief (β = -.22). Interestingly, neither trauma related in feelings and thoughts nor arousal and reactivity corresponded with gun attitudes. Certain PTSD symptom clusters may be relevant in understanding gun beliefs, with specific symptoms exhibiting distinct ties to gun attitudes.