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Magnitude of Problematic Anger and Its Predictors in the Millennium Cohort

26 Pages Posted: 2 Dec 2019

See all articles by Amy B. Adler

Amy B. Adler

Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

Cynthia LeardMann

Naval Health Research Center - Deployment Health Research Department

Kimberly A. Roenfeldt

Leidos Inc.

Isabel G. Jacobson

Naval Health Research Center - Deployment Health Research Department

David Forbes

Phoenix Australia

Millennium Cohort Study Team

Independent

More...

Abstract

Background: In military personnel and veterans, problematic anger is associated with heightened risk of mental health problems and difficulty functioning, although previous studies have been limited by sample size and cross-sectional data.

Methods: The current study used Millennium Cohort survey data (N = 90,266) from two time points (2013 and 2016 surveys) to assess the association of baseline demographics, military factors, mental health, self-mastery, and posttraumatic growth with problematic anger levels reported several years later.

Outcome: Overall, 17·3% of respondents reported problematic anger. In the fully adjusted logistic regression model, greater risk of problematic anger was predicted by male sex, younger age, current or formerly marital status, being black non-Hispanic or other (vs. white), less educational attainment, childhood trauma, and financial problems. Service members who were in the Army or Marines, active duty (vs. reserve), and previously deployed with high levels of combat had increased risk for problematic anger. Veterans were also more likely to report problematic anger. Mental health predictors included major depressive disorder (MDD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comorbid PTSD/MDD. Higher levels of self-mastery and post-traumatic growth were associated with decreased risk of problematic anger.

Interpretation: Not only did one in six respondents report problematic anger, but risk factors were significant even after adjusting for MDD and PTSD, suggesting that problematic anger is more than an expression of these mental health problems. Results identify potential points of early intervention and clinical treatment for addressing problematic anger.

Registration Information: Report Number 19-77 was supported by the Military Operational Medicine Research Program, Defense Health Program, and Veterans Affairs under work unit no. 60002.

Funding Statement: Military Operational Medicine Research Program, Defense Health Program, and Veterans Affairs

Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Ethics Approval Statement: The study protocol was approved by the Naval Health Research Center Institutional Review Board in compliance with all applicable Federal regulations governing the protection of human subjects. Research data were derived from an approved Naval Health Research Center, Institutional Review Board protocol number NHRC.2000.0007.

Keywords: cohort studies, military, anger

Suggested Citation

Adler, Amy B. and LeardMann, Cynthia and Roenfeldt, Kimberly A. and Jacobson, Isabel G. and Forbes, David and Team, Millennium Cohort Study, Magnitude of Problematic Anger and Its Predictors in the Millennium Cohort (11/14/2019). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3487846 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3487846

Amy B. Adler

Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

Silver Spring, MD 20910
United States

Cynthia LeardMann (Contact Author)

Naval Health Research Center - Deployment Health Research Department ( email )

United States

Kimberly A. Roenfeldt

Leidos Inc.

United States

Isabel G. Jacobson

Naval Health Research Center - Deployment Health Research Department

United States

David Forbes

Phoenix Australia

Australia