[Coping with anger by cardiovascular patients]

Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol. 1994 Jul;44(7):240-6.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Patients with essential hypertension and coronary heart disease were compared to a healthy and clinical control group an the recently developed Müller-Anger-Coping Questionnaire (MAQ). The inventory measures the factors "Spontaneous Behavior" (f1), "Controlled Affect" (f2), "Guilt" (f3) and "Social Inhibition" (f4) as a trait. The patients, suffering from essential hypertension, in comparison to the healthy control group, showed significant differences on factors 2 to 4, indicating, that they are expressing anger to a lesser degree and that they are more likely to exhibit an anger-in/guilt coping style. The same was true for patients suffering from coronary heart disease with respect to factors 2 and 4. With respect to "Guilt" coronary heart disease patients showed a clear trend for more feelings of guilt after anger expression, as compared to the healthy control group. None of the groups showed significant differences on expressing anger-in an aggressive manner (factor 1). These results provide further evidence, that patients with cardiovascular disorders have a clear tendency to show anger to a lesser degree in an socially assertive manner and to suppress anger. If anger is expressed by these patients, they tend to feel guilty. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological*
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Anger*
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / psychology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / psychology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocardial Infarction / psychology
  • Personality Inventory
  • Psychophysiologic Disorders / psychology*