An Investigation of Treatment Engagement Among Returning Veterans With Problematic Anger

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Mental Health
• Military Psychology

Background:

• Anger is a common issue for returning veterans.
• Limited research exists on treatment engagement for veterans with anger but without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Understanding this subgroup is crucial for improving veteran mental healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare treatment utilization, perceived barriers, and care preferences between Iraq-Afghanistan veterans with anger/no PTSD, those with PTSD, and those with neither condition.
• To identify unique characteristics of veterans experiencing anger without PTSD regarding mental health service engagement.
• To inform targeted interventions for diverse veteran mental health needs.

Main Methods:

• Comparative study of three groups of Iraq-Afghanistan veterans: anger/no PTSD (n=159), PTSD symptoms (n=285), and neither anger nor PTSD (n=716).
• Assessment of mental health treatment utilization in the past year.
• Evaluation of perceived barriers to treatment and preferences for care.

Main Results:

• Veterans with anger but no PTSD were significantly less likely to have received mental health treatment compared to the PTSD group.
• The anger/no-PTSD group reported fewer barriers to treatment than the PTSD group.
• The anger/no-PTSD group showed fewer preferences for care compared to the PTSD group, suggesting potential under-identification of need.

Conclusions:

• Veterans with anger but without PTSD represent a distinct subgroup with lower treatment engagement.
• This group may be less likely to recognize or self-identify the need for mental health services.
• Findings underscore the need for tailored approaches to engage veterans with anger-related issues in appropriate care.