Contributors to Hypervigilance in a Military and Civilian Sample

• NCJ Number: 245669
• Journal: Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 28 Issue: 8 Dated: May 2013 Pages: 1672-1692
• Author(s): Matthew O. Kimble, Ph.D.; Kevin Fleming, Ph.D.; Kelly A. Bennion, EdM
• Date Published: May 2013
• Length: 21 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study set out to investigate the factors that contribute to hypervigilance in a mixed sample.

Abstract

Hypervigilance toward ambiguous or threatening stimuli is a prominent feature in many trauma survivors including active and returning soldiers. This study set out to investigate the factors that contribute to hypervigilance in a mixed sample. One hundred forty-five individuals, 50 of whom were war zone veterans, filled out a series of questionnaires including the Hypervigilance Questionnaire (HVQ; Kimble, Fleming, & Bennion, 2009). Other participants included military cadets, college undergraduates, and a traumatized community sample. In this sample, a history of military deployment and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms independently predicted hypervigilance. The findings suggest that deployment to a war zone, in and of itself, can lead to hypervigilant behavior. Therefore, characterizing hypervigilance as pathological in a veteran sample must be done so with caution. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.