Associations between societal disapproval and changes in symptoms of PTSD and appetitive aggression following treatment among high-risk South African males
Date
2017-07
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Open
Abstract
Background: In violent communities, social rejection as a person with victim–offender
attributes is associated with more intense symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) and a higher propensity towards violence, i.e. appetitive aggression. Successful community
reintegration encompassing adequate social acknowledgment of individuals with
both a history of violence exposure and perpetration may be necessary to enhance the
treatment effects of interventions addressing PTSD and aggression.
Objective: In this study, the effects of treatment and post-treatment traumatic events, violent
offenses, and social acknowledgment (with sub-dimensions of general disapproval, family
disapproval, and recognition as a person with both a history of violence exposure and
commission) on changes in PTSD symptom severity and appetitive aggression from baseline
to 8-month follow-up were investigated.
Method: Data were collected from 54 males recruited through a Cape Town offender reintegration
programme for an intervention study targeting trauma and aggression (n = 28 treatment;
n = 26 wait-list). Changes in PTSD symptom severity after treatment were assessed with
the PTSD Symptom Scale-Interview, changes in appetitive aggression with the Appetitive
Aggression Scale (AAS), post-treatment traumatic events with an adapted version of the
Child’s Exposure to Violence Checklist, offenses with an adapted checklist from the AAS, and
social acknowledgment with an adapted form of the Social Acknowledgment Questionnaire.
Results: Path analyses revealed negative relationships between ongoing societal disapproval
and changes in PTSD symptom severity and appetitive aggression at 8-months, controlling
for age. All other variables were non-significant, except for treatment, which was associated
with PTSD symptom reduction.
Conclusions: As a complementary strategy to effective psychotherapeutic treatment,
increased social acknowledgment may contribute significantly to the alleviation of PTSD
symptoms and appetitive aggression. Psychological interventions should, therefore, not
neglect the impact of societal factors on treatment effects.
Description
CITATION: Sommer, J., et al. 2017. Associations between societal disapproval and changes in symptoms of PTSD and appetitive aggression following treatment among high-risk South African males. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 8(1):1-9, doi:10.1080/20008198.2017.1369831.
The original publication is available at https://www.tandfonline.com
The original publication is available at https://www.tandfonline.com
Keywords
Violence; social acknowledgment; posttraumatic stress disorder; appetitive aggression; treatment efficacy
Citation
Sommer, J., et al. 2017. Associations between societal disapproval and changes in symptoms of PTSD and appetitive aggression following treatment among high-risk South African males. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 8(1):1-9, doi:10.1080/20008198.2017.1369831