Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
Confl Health. 2013 Apr 10;7(1):9. doi: 10.1186/1752-1505-7-9.
Former combatants have frequently reported that aggressive behaviour can be appetitive and appealing. This appetitive aggression (AA) may be adaptive for survival in a violent environment, as it is associated with a reduced risk of combat-related psychological traumatization. At the same time, AA might impair motivation for re-integration to civil life after ending active duty. Whereas in Colombia those combatants who volunteered for demobilization were mostly tired of fighting, those who demobilized collectively did so mainly by force of the government. We predicted those who were demobilized collectively would still be attracted to violence, and benefit from the resilience against trauma-related mental suffering, moderated by appetitive aggression, as they would have continued fighting had they not been forced to stop.
A sample of 252 former Colombian former combatants from paramilitary and guerrilla forces was investigated. Appetitive aggression was assessed using the Appetitive Aggression Scale (AAS) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms with the PTSD Symptom Scale-Interview (PSS-I). We distinguished between individual and group demobilization and assessed reasons for disarmament.
Most of the guerrilla troops who demobilized individually and were tired of fighting reported both an attraction to violence as well as increased trauma symptoms, owing to their former engagement in violent behaviour. In contrast, among those who were demobilized collectively, appetitive aggression was associated with a reduced risk of PTSD. However, this effect was not present in those combatants in the upper quartile of PTSD symptom severity.
The influence of combat experience on traumatization, as well as the motivation for demobilization, differs remarkably between those combatants who demobilized individually and those who were members of a group that was forced to demobilize. This has important implications for the implementation of re-integration programmes and therapeutic interventions.
前战斗人员经常报告说，攻击性行为可能是有吸引力和吸引人的。这种有吸引力的攻击性（AA）可能有助于在暴力环境中生存，因为它与降低与战斗相关的心理创伤的风险有关。同时，AA 可能会损害结束现役后重新融入平民生活的动机。而在哥伦比亚，那些自愿复员的战斗人员大多是厌倦了战斗，而那些集体复员的战斗人员主要是迫于政府的压力。我们预测那些集体复员的人仍然会被暴力所吸引，并受益于对创伤相关精神痛苦的适应能力，这种适应能力由有吸引力的攻击性来调节，因为如果他们没有被迫停止，他们会继续战斗。
研究了来自准军事和游击队的 252 名前哥伦比亚前战斗人员。使用有吸引力的攻击性量表（AAS）评估有吸引力的攻击性，使用创伤后应激障碍症状量表-访谈（PSS-I）评估创伤后应激障碍症状。我们区分了个人和集体复员，并评估了裁军的原因。
大多数厌倦战斗而选择个人复员的游击队都报告说，他们既对暴力有吸引力，也有更多的创伤症状，这是由于他们以前从事过暴力行为。相比之下，在那些集体复员的人中，有吸引力的攻击性与 PTSD 风险降低有关。然而，在 PTSD 症状严重程度处于前四分之一的战斗人员中，这种影响并不存在。
战斗经历对创伤的影响，以及复员的动机，在那些个人复员的战斗人员和那些被迫集体复员的战斗人员之间有显著的不同。这对复员方案和治疗干预的实施具有重要意义。
