Anger, Social Cognition and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Former French Military Personnel

NCT07851090 | Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: 2021PPRC112023-A01706-39
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 150
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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:
• Quantitative component
• AUDIT - Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test
• ACE-IQ - Adverse Childhood Experiences-International Questionnaire
• HADS - Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
• Qualitative component - Content of verbatim transcripts from semi-structured interviews

Conditions

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Keywords

PTSD; Social Cognition; Anger; veterans

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (8)

• PCL-5 score

  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 score to evaluate PTSD symptom severity.

  1 week post-enrollment (at Visit 3)

• STAXI-2 Score

  State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 score to evaluate anger expression.

  1 week post-enrollment (at Visit 3)

• EQ score

  Empathy Quotient score to evaluate empathy.

  1 week post-enrollment (at Visit 3)

• MASC score

  Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition score to evaluate social cognition.

  1 week post-enrollment (at Visit 3)

• TREF score

  Test de Reconnaissance des Émotions Faciales score to evaluate facial emotion recognition.

  1 week post-enrollment (at Visit 3)

• AUDIT score

  Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score to evaluate alcohol consumption.

  1 week post-enrollment (at Visit 3)

• ACE-IQ score

  Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire score.

  1 week post-enrollment (at Visit 3)

• HADS score

  Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score to evaluate anxiety and depression.

  1 week post-enrollment (at Visit 3)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 45 Years
• Sex: all
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

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.

You may qualify if:

• 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;
• Be enrolled in a social security program;
• Receive a military disability pension (PMI) (temporary or permanent) of 20% or more.
• Additional criterion for the qualitative component: reporting having been exposed to events that could be morally harmful (verified through a specific question in the sociodemographic questionnaire).

You may not qualify if:

• Pregnant and breastfeeding women;
• Minors;
• Individuals under administrative or judicial supervision;
• Adults under legal guardianship;
• Reservists who have not previously served on active duty;
• Individuals who cannot be contacted in an emergency;
• Physical conditions related to trauma, including head injuries;
• Participants with a comorbid psychotic disorder;
• Participants who regularly use illicit drugs

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Direction Centrale du Service de Santé des Armées: lead

Study Sites (1)

Marmuse Anaïs

Draguignan, 83300, France

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Anaïs Marmuse, PhD

  Service Santé des Armées

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Anaïs Marmuse, PhD

CONTACT

+336.42.89.18.97; anais.marmuse@intradef.gouv.fr

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 24, 2026
• First Posted: October 1, 2026
• Study Start: May 30, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): November 30, 2029
• Study Completion (Estimated): November 30, 2029
• Last Updated: October 1, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Locations

FR (1)