Anger, anxiety, and depression as risk factors for cardiovascular disease: the problems and implications of overlapping affective dispositions.
Several recent reviews have identified 3 affective dispositions--depression, anxiety, and anger-hostility--as putative risk factors for coronary heart disease. There are, however, mixed and negative results. Following a critical summary of epidemiological findings, the present article discusses the construct and measurement overlap among the 3 negative affects. Recognition of the overlap necessitates the development of more complex affect-disease models and has implications for the interpretation of prior studies, statistical analyses, prevention, and intervention in health psychology and behavioral medicine. The overlap among the 3 negative dispositions also leaves open the possibility that a general disposition toward negative affectivity may be more important for disease risk than any specific negative affect.
Suls
Jerry
J
Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. jerry-suls@uiowa.edu
Bunde
James
J
D000339:Affect; D000786:Anger; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors