Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans were grouped by level of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and compared on self-report measures of trait anger, hostility, and aggression. Veterans who screened positive for PTSD reported significantly greater anger and hostility than those in the subthreshold-PTSD and non-PTSD groups. Veterans in the subthreshold-PTSD group reported significantly greater anger and hostility than those in the non-PTSD group. The PTSD and subthreshold-PTSD groups did not differ with respect to aggression, though both groups were significantly more likely to have endorsed aggression than the non-PTSD group. These findings suggest that providers should screen for anger and aggression among Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans who exhibit symptoms of PTSD and incorporate relevant anger treatments into early intervention strategies.

Objective: To describe depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and posttraumatic growth at 6 and 12 months following amputation and to explore differences by demographic variables and cognitive processing of trauma. Participants: 83 adults with newly acquired limb loss. Setting: Two large metropolitan hospitals. Main Outcome Measures: The Patient Health Questionnaire depression module, PTSD Checklist, and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Results: Significant depressive and PTSD symptoms were reported by 15%-25% of participants. Relatively low levels of posttraumatic growth were reported. Negative cognitive processing predicted depressive and PTSD symptoms at 6 months. Positive cognitive processing predicted posttraumatic growth at 12 months. Conclusion: Cognitive processing appears to be integral to positive and negative psychosocial outcomes following amputation and should be targeted by clinical interventions.

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Urban youth are exposed to staggering amounts of community violence, and researchers have identified psychological ramifications associated with this exposure. Yet some have found no relationship between exposure and distress and have argued for habituation. Little attention, however, has focused on how assessment methods have contributed to these conflicting findings. Although most of the research has relied on self-report measures, these assessment tools have systematic limitations. First, these measures are susceptible to a defensive test-taking approach, characterized by a denial of stress-related symptoms. Second, symptom-based assessment tools may have limited utility with youth experiencing affective blunting associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. Third, these instruments are context free and fail to consider environmental influences on behavior. To address these concerns, we advocate using Goldfried and D'Zurilla's behavior analytic model to create tools to identify how youth and their parents cope with context-specific problems following exposure to violence.

African American assault victims are experiencing a broad range of psychosocial needs. To bolster youth recovery and reduce the risk of future injury, researchers and practitioners need to identify effective methods of assessing these needs in the emergency department so that youth victims of interpersonal violence can be referred for appropriate follow-up services.