The Relationship Between Maladaptive Cognitions, Anger Expression, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Veterans in Residential Treatment

Ninety-nine veterans receiving treatment in a residential program for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were assessed to determine changes in maladaptive cognitions, anger expression, PTSD, and depression after receiving cognitive therapy. Veterans completed the Cognitive Distortions Scale (CDS), Trauma-Related Guilt Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory-II, State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2, and PTSD Checklist-Military. Paired samples t tests indicated significant differences from pre- to posttreatment for PTSD, depression, and CDS subscales. A hierarchical linear regression was conducted to determine predictors of posttreatment PTSD severity. Significant predictors were pretreatment cognitions related to wrongdoing and hopelessness and the interaction between anger expression and pretreatment PTSD severity. The interaction indicated that low pretreatment anger was associated with lower levels of posttreatment PTSD as baseline levels of PTSD severity increased.