Anger Expression, Momentary Anger, and Symptom Severity in Patients with Chronic Disease.
BACKGROUND
Anger expression styles are associated with physical health, and may affect health by modulating anger experience in daily life. Research examining this process in the daily lives of clinically relevant populations, such as patients with chronic disease, is needed.


METHODS
Community adults with asthma (N = 97) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA; N = 31) completed measures of trait-level anger expression styles (anger-in and anger-out), followed by ecological momentary assessments of anger and physical health five times daily for 7 days.


RESULTS
High anger-in predicted greater momentary anger, physical limitations, and greater asthma symptoms. High anger-out predicted reduced RA symptoms. Momentary anger was robustly associated with more severe symptoms in daily life. Three-way interactions showed that anger-in moderated these momentary anger-symptom associations more consistently in men.


CONCLUSIONS
Anger expression styles, particularly anger-in, may affect the day-to-day adjustment of patients with chronic disease in part by altering the dimensions of everyday anger experience, in ways that appear to differ by gender.
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
Michael A
MA
Russell
The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Timothy W
TW
Smith
Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, #231 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. Smyth@psu.edu.
Joshua M
JM
Smyth
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
Anger expression and suppression; Arthritis; Asthma; Ecological momentary assessment; Gender differences