title: Anger suppression predicts pain, emotional, and cardiovascular responses to the cold pressor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Manipulated anger suppression has been shown to heighten pain and anger responses to pain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We examined whether individual differences in self-reported anger suppression predicted pain, anger, and blood pressure responses to acute pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy participants (N = 47) underwent an anger-provoking speech task followed by a cold pressor pain task. Participants reported their degree of suppression of thoughts and feelings related to the speech. Pain intensity ratings were obtained throughout the cold pressor. Self-reported anger, anxiety and positive emotion, as well as ratings of sensory, general distress, and anger-specific elements of pain were obtained following the cold pressor. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) were recorded throughout.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Self-reported suppression predicted greater pain intensity ratings, perception of sensory and anger-specific elements of pain, and self-reported anger in response to the cold pressor. Associations between self-reported suppression and pain intensity and ratings of anger-specific elements of pain were statistically mediated by pain-induced changes in self-reported anger, whereas the effect of suppression on sensory pain ratings was not. Self-reported suppression was also correlated inversely with SBP responses to the cold pressor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consistent with an ironic process model and prior studies involving experimental manipulation of suppression, self-reported suppression of anger predicted greater pain intensity and perception of the anger-specific element of pain. Findings also suggest that suppression might attenuate homeostatic pressor responses to acute pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. pquarta1@son.jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Phillip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Quartana
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bounds
authors.forename: K Lira
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Burel R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Goodin
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Burns
mesh_terms: D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012094:Repression, Psychology; D055815:Young Adult