This is a single-center cross-sectional study conducted on a sample of former military personnel who had been diagnosed with PTSD. The main objective of this study is to test a mediation model positing that PTSD increases individuals' levels of anger through its detrimental effect on social cognitive abilities (Quantitative component). The secondary objectives focus on the impact of alcohol consumption and ACE on the three components (theory of mind, emotional decoding, empathy) of social cognition (qualitative component). A second secondary objective aims to explore the moral harms reported by former military personnel through a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews (qualitative component).
Primary Objective (Quantitative Component): To examine the links between PTSD, anger, and social cognition among French veterans using mediation analyses. The aim is to test whether PTSD (independent variable) indirectly influences individuals' levels of anger (dependent variable) through its effect on social cognition (mediating variable).
Secondary Objectives:
* Quantitative component: to examine other factors associated with PTSD that may influence social cognitive abilities, such as alcohol consumption and experiences of childhood abuse (Abuse Childhood Experience-ACE); * Qualitative component: to explore the psychological trauma experienced by military personnel through a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews.
Evaluation criteria:
Main Components:
Quantitative Component
Self-report scales for PTSD, anger, and empathy, as well as two social cognition tasks:
* PCL-5 - Posttraumatic Checklist-5 * STAXI-2 - Spielberger's State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 * EQ - Empathy Quotient * MASC - Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition * TREF - Facial Emotion Recognition Test
Secondary:
1. Quantitative component
Self-reported scales of alcohol use, childhood abuse experiences, and anxiety and depression: * AUDIT - Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test * ACE-IQ - Adverse Childhood Experiences-International Questionnaire * HADS - Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale 2. Qualitative component - Content of verbatim transcripts from semi-structured interviews
Be of legal age and between 18 and 45 years old;
Be able to speak, read, and write French;
Have given oral consent after receiving an oral explanation of the study's objectives and procedures;
Sign a written, informed, and electronic consent form after reviewing an information sheet explaining the study's objectives and procedures;
Minors;
Individuals under administrative or judicial supervision;
Adults under legal guardianship;
Reservists who have not previously served on active duty;
These are former French military personnel who have been out of active duty for more than 6 months and are receiving a military disability pension for PTSD.
Cohort
Retrospective
Not listed
PCL-5 score
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 score to evaluate PTSD symptom severity.
STAXI-2 Score
State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 score to evaluate anger expression.
EQ score
Empathy Quotient score to evaluate empathy.
MASC score
Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition score to evaluate social cognition.
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