The expression of anger and its relationship to symptoms and cognitions in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
We compared the association between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and the expression of anger in a sample of 71 patients and 71 college students. Some authors [Rubenstein et al., J Anxiety Disord 1995;9:1-9] have proposed that anger and hostility underlie the symptoms of OCD; however, there has been little empirical study of this relationship. One recent study [Whiteside and Abramowitz, Cog Therapy Res 2004;28:259-268] with college undergraduates found that the association between OCD symptoms and anger was attributable to depressive symptoms. In the present study, we compared the expression of anger in a sample of patients diagnosed with OCD and nonclinical volunteers. Consistent with the previous study, we found increased levels of anger in patients with OCD as compared to control participants; however, these differences could be attributed to between-group differences in general distress. These results were discussed within the framework of the cognitive theory of OCD.
Whiteside
Stephen P
SP
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. whiteside.stephen@mayo.edu
Abramowitz
Jonathan S
JS
D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013850:Thinking; D014705:Verbal Behavior