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Cannabis use disorder, anger, and violence in Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Dillon, KH; Van Voorhees, EE; Elbogen, EB; Beckham, JC; VA Mid-Atlantic MIRECC Workgroup, ; Calhoun, PS
Published in: J Psychiatr Res
June 2021

An association has been found between cannabis use disorder (CUD) and violence in several clinical populations, including veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and there is evidence that CUD has been increasing among veterans since September 11, 2001. There is also evidence that some veterans may be attempting to self-medicate psychological problems including PTSD and aggression with cannabis, despite the lack of safety and efficacy data supporting this use. To date, however, the association between CUD and aggression has yet to be examined in a large, non-clinic sample of veterans. The present study examined the association between cannabis use disorder, anger, aggressive urges, and difficulty controlling violence in a large sample of Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans (N = 3028). Results of multivariate logistic regressions indicated that current CUD was significantly positively associated with difficulty managing anger (OR = 2.93, p < .05), aggressive impulses/urges (OR = 2.74, p < .05), and problems controlling violence in past 30 days (OR = 2.71, p < .05) even accounting for demographic variables, comorbid symptoms of depression and PTSD, and co-morbid alcohol and substance use disorders. Lifetime CUD was also uniquely associated with problems controlling violence in the past 30 days (OR = 1.64, p < .05), but was not significantly associated with difficulty managing anger or aggressive impulses/urges. Findings indicated that the association between CUD and aggression needs to be considered in treatment planning for both CUD and problems managing anger and aggressive urges, and point to a critical need to disentangle the mechanism of the association between CUD and violence in veterans.

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Published In

J Psychiatr Res

DOI

EISSN

1879-1379

Publication Date

June 2021

Volume

138

Start / End Page

375 / 379

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Violence
  • Veterans
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Psychiatry
  • Marijuana Abuse
  • Iraq War, 2003-2011
  • Iraq
  • Humans
  • Cannabis
  • Anger
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Dillon, K. H., Van Voorhees, E. E., Elbogen, E. B., Beckham, J. C., VA Mid-Atlantic MIRECC Workgroup, ., & Calhoun, P. S. (2021). Cannabis use disorder, anger, and violence in Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans. J Psychiatr Res, 138, 375–379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.04.018
Dillon, Kirsten H., Elizabeth E. Van Voorhees, Eric B. Elbogen, Jean C. Beckham, Jean C. VA Mid-Atlantic MIRECC Workgroup, and Patrick S. Calhoun. “Cannabis use disorder, anger, and violence in Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans.J Psychiatr Res 138 (June 2021): 375–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.04.018.
Dillon KH, Van Voorhees EE, Elbogen EB, Beckham JC, VA Mid-Atlantic MIRECC Workgroup, Calhoun PS. Cannabis use disorder, anger, and violence in Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans. J Psychiatr Res. 2021 Jun;138:375–9.
Dillon, Kirsten H., et al. “Cannabis use disorder, anger, and violence in Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans.J Psychiatr Res, vol. 138, June 2021, pp. 375–79. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.04.018.
Dillon KH, Van Voorhees EE, Elbogen EB, Beckham JC, VA Mid-Atlantic MIRECC Workgroup, Calhoun PS. Cannabis use disorder, anger, and violence in Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans. J Psychiatr Res. 2021 Jun;138:375–379.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Psychiatr Res

DOI

EISSN

1879-1379

Publication Date

June 2021

Volume

138

Start / End Page

375 / 379

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Violence
  • Veterans
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Psychiatry
  • Marijuana Abuse
  • Iraq War, 2003-2011
  • Iraq
  • Humans
  • Cannabis
  • Anger