Development of the Posttraumatic Anger Scale

Abstract

Anger is a pervasive problem after individuals experience traumatic stress that heightens the risk for violence, health problems, poor relationships, and poor treatment outcomes. Previous research has demonstrated a moderate relationship between anger and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet this research also highlights that anger has not been rigorously measured in the context of PTSD. Thus, this study concerns the development of a complimentary measure to assess anger in the context of PTSD. Participants were 435 undergraduate students. The participants were given a battery including the proposed scale and measures of trauma exposure, PTSD, anger, depression, anxiety, and social desirability to assess. Exploratory factor analyses revealed that a hierarchical, four-factor model was the best model. The Posttraumatic Anger Scale appeared psychometrically sound, with excellent internal consistency, good evidence of validity, and good model fit. This scale may provide implications for clinical work, specifically for the assessment and tracking of anger symptoms connected to PTSD. Additionally, this scale may assist with research by predicting treatment outcomes, aggression, and PTSD.