N/A N=61 Randomized Treatment

Mindfulness for Anger in Veterans With PTSD

Anger · Aggression

Bottom Line

View on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02882802 ↗

Enrolled (actual)

Serious AEs

4.9%

Results posted

May 2026

Primary outcome: Primary: State Anger Scale — 27.34; 26.88; 23.47; 25.67 units on a scale — p=.14

Study Design & Population

Study type: Interventional
Phase: N/A
Interventions: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (Behavioral); Trauma Recovery Education Class (Behavioral)
Age: Adult, Older Adult · 18+ yrs
Sex: All
Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
Primary completion: Jan 2023

Outcome Measures

Outcome	Result	p-value
PRIMARY State Anger Scale	27.34; 26.88; 23.47; 25.67; 24.77; 23.96	.14
PRIMARY Trait Anger Scale	23.60; 23.27; 22.37; 21.21; 23.00; 21.09	.36
PRIMARY Anger Expression In	21.37; 22.31; 20.63; 21.00; 20.93; 21.78	.03 sig
PRIMARY Anger Expression Out	18.20; 17.73; 16.83; 16.38; 17.33; 16.61	.40
PRIMARY Anger Control In	20.63; 21.15; 19.87; 21.21; 20.03; 22.22	.42
PRIMARY Anger Control Out	20.17; 21.12; 19.57; 20.71; 20.27; 22.26	.51
PRIMARY Anger Expression Index	46.77; 45.77; 46.03; 43.46; 45.97; 41.91	.68
PRIMARY Buss Perry Total Aggression Score	112.97; 107.77; 104.43; 100.58; 104.17; 98.78	.76
PRIMARY Buss Perry Physical Aggression	33.37; 31.81; 32.43; 29.21; 32.07; 29.13	.59
PRIMARY Buss Perry Verbal Aggression Score	20.34; 20.88; 18.63; 19.25; 18.17; 20.13	.83
PRIMARY Buss Perry Anger Scale	27.43; 24.35; 25.80; 22.75; 25.20; 22.52	.69
PRIMARY Buss Perry Hostility Scale	31.83; 30.73; 27.57; 29.38; 28.73; 27	.04 sig
PRIMARY Provoked Aggression Subscale 1	2.12; 3.41; 2.86; 4.07; 4.63; 5.15	.76
PRIMARY Provoked Aggression Subscale 2	2.50; 5	.52

Summary

Research has consistently shown that Veterans with PTSD are more likely to experience higher levels of anger and commit aggressive acts compared to Veterans without PTSD. Given the significant negative impact that anger and aggression can have on the lives of Veterans, their families, and society at large, there is a great need to examine novel interventions that could decrease anger and aggression risk with this population. Mindfulness may be one such technique, given its effectiveness in assisting individuals in regulating difficult emotions and in decreasing physiological reactivity, which have both been implicated in PTSD and aggression perpetration. Findings showing that a mindfulness intervention is effective in reducing anger and aggressive behavior would be relevant for Veterans with PTSD experiencing such difficulties and would help prevent the detrimental consequences that can come from anger and aggression among these individuals.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Participants must meet current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition) diagnostic criteria for PTSD (participants with sub-threshold levels of PTSD will also be allowed to participate).
Participants must also indicate current difficulties with anger and aggression.

Exclusion Criteria

Participants with a current diagnosis of psychotic disorder or current substance use disorder with severe symptoms.
Participants diagnosed with bipolar II disorder without psychotic features and/or individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder who are well-controlled on medication will be allowed to participate. Individuals with bipolar disorder who do not fall into either of these categories will be excluded.
Participants also must not have a seizure disorder.
Participants are allowed to be taking psychotropic medications, however they must be on a stable dose for at least 2 months.
Participants who do not have a working and active e-mail account and access to a smart phone or computer will be excluded.
Finally, participants must not currently be receiving concurrent individual therapy or group therapy focused on anger and aggression, must not be currently receiving any evidence-based treatment for PTSD, and must not currently be participating in the modified TREC group offered at the West Haven VA Medical Center.

View full record on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02882802). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.