Assessment and treatment of posttraumatic anger and aggression: a review.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense's (DOD) recently published and updated Department of Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense VA/ DOD Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of PostTraumatic Stress includes irritability, severe agitation, and anger as specific symptoms that frequently co-occur with PTSD. For the first time, the guideline includes nine specific recommendations for the assessment and treatment of PTSD-related anger, irritability, and agitation. This article will review the literature on PTSD and its association with anger and aggression. We highlight explanatory models for these associations, factors that contribute to the occurrence of anger and aggression in PTSD, assessment of anger and aggression, and effective anger management interventions and strategies.