SILVER SPRING, MD — How does problematic anger in long-term adjustment of service members transitioning out of the military?
That is the question raised by a new study led by Walter Reed Army Institute of Research investigators. They pointed out in JAMA Network Open that the issue has not been adequately studied.1
Their efforts sought to determine the prevalence of problematic anger during the military-to-civilian transition period and the association of problematic anger with adjustment to civilian life.
The cohort study used two waves of survey data administered about five years apart—Sep. 26, 2014, to Aug. 25, 2016, was Time 1 (T1) and Oct. 23, 2019, to Aug. 31, 2021], was Time 2 (T2), with data derived from the Millennium Cohort Study, a population-based military study. Participants were active-duty U.S. service members within 24 months of separating from military service at T1.
Researchers defined problematic anger as scoring at least 12 points on the five-item Dimensions of Anger Reactions scale at T1. They looked at behavioral and functional health (depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, problem drinking, functional limitations), relationship health (relationship quality, coping with parental demands, social support) and economic health (major financial problems, financial insecurity, homelessness, employment status) at T2. Covariates, which were assessed at T1, included demographics, military characteristics, mental health, problem drinking and physical health.
Most of the 3448 participants, 76.1%, were male. In terms of race and ethnicity, 217 (6.3%) were Hispanic, 293 (8.5%) were non-Hispanic Black, and 2690 (78.0%) were non-Hispanic White. Their mean (SD) age was 40.1 (8.5) years.
About one-fourth of the participants, 24.0%, met criteria for problematic anger. “Prevalence of problematic anger was 15.9% (95% CI, 12.2%-19.7%) 24 months prior to military separation and 31.2% (95% CI, 26.2%-36.2%) 24 months following separation,” the researchers advised. “After adjusting for covariates, problematic anger was associated with greater likelihood of behavioral and functional health outcomes (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder: adjusted odds ratio, 1.55, 95% CI, 1.23-1.96), relationship health difficulties (e.g., low social support: aOR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.23-2.24), and economic difficulties (e.g., substantial financial insecurity: aOR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.13-2.39) at T2.”
The cohort study spotlighted an association between prevalence of problematic anger during the military-to-civilian transition and problematic anger with subsequent adjustment difficulties among U.S. service members. “These findings suggest the need to equip service members proactively with skills to identify and manage anger as a way to support them before and during this period of transition,” researchers concluded.
- Adler AB, LeardMann CA, Villalobos J, Jacobson IG, Forbes D; Millennium Cohort Study Team. Association of Problematic Anger With Long-term Adjustment Following the Military-to-Civilian Transition. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Jul 1;5(7):e2223236. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.23236. PMID: 35862043; PMCID: PMC9305378.