Associations between trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder, and aggression perpetrated by women. A meta‐analysis

Abstract

Previous research has indicated a link between trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and aggression. The aim of this meta‐analysis was to integrate previous findings with a focus on women. Six databases were searched for peer‐reviewed articles. Random‐effects models and meta‐regressions were calculated. K = 15 studies were included, indicating small to medium effects (Cohen's d = 0.44 for traumatic events and d = 0.60 for PTSD). For traumatic events, timing effects were found. Methodological differences in types of summary statistics used in the studies yielded significant results. These findings provide further evidence for important associations between traumatic stress and the risk of aggression in women. Considering the devastating impact that this violence can have on an entire community, early interventions are key.

Commentary on "Associations between trauma exposure, PTSD, and aggression perpetrated by women. A meta‐analysis”.

“…In their analyses, Augsburger and Maercker () found a small effect size ( d = 0.44) for the association between traumatic events and aggression, and a medium effect size ( d = 0.60) for the association between PTSD and aggression. The authors present these findings as providing support for identifying women who are at risk of behaving aggressively with the aim of clinicians engaging in early intervention.…”

“…Overall, despite these concerns, the findings of Augsburger and Maercker’s (2020) meta-analysis suggested that there are associations between trauma exposure/PTSD and aggression that need to be better understood. One important variable missing in the studies is the assessment of anger.…”

Pandemic Exposure, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Conflict Behaviors, and Online Aggressive Behaviors Among College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Examining the Moderating Role of Gender

“…These findings suggest that the effects of pandemic exposure on PTSD and aggressive behaviors differ between males and females. Augsburger and Maercker ( 34 ) reported that among individuals with PTSD, males and females also had different performance. For example, males scored higher than females on aggression, anger, and verbal hostility scales ( 35 , 36 ).…”

Commentary on Augsburger and Maercker—Posttraumatic stress disorder and aggression: What the data tell us and where we go from here.

“…Augsburger and Maercker (2020) examined an important correlation that has been an area of increased focus in recent years: the association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and aggression. Findings were generally consistent with a prior meta-analysis published by our research group (Taft, Watkins, Stafford, Street, & Monson, 2011) nearly 10 years ago.…”

“…For example, considerable evidence indicates that PTSD contributes to various cognitive biases that lead to an overly negative interpretation of others’ behavior and contributes to risk for aggressive behavior (see Taft et al, in press). As the findings from Augsburger and Maercker (2020) suggest, we need to better understand how different forms of trauma may impact differences in SIP across gender, and how this may lead to differential risk for aggressive behavior.…”