ABSTRACT

Aggression is associated with the hyper arousal symptoms in Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Biological and psychological factors play a role in the etiology of aggressive behavior. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between dissociation and aggressive behavior in patients with PTSD. 42 patients with a diagnosis of PTSD according to DSM-IV criteria and 41 healthy subjects were enrolled to the study. Socio-demographic data form, the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) and the Buss Perry Aggression Scale tests were administered to the participitants. DES scores, CAPS hyper arousal scores and number of experienced trauma were higher in the PTSD patients with high levels of aggression than the PTSD patients with low levels of aggression. The results suggested that dissociative symptoms should be screened carefully in PTSD patients who had aggressive behaviours prominently.

Keywords: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, aggression, dissociation