Anger expression and pain: an overview of findings and possible mechanisms.

Full Abstract

A tendency to manage anger via direct expression (anger-out) is increasingly recognized as influencing responses to pain. Elevated trait anger-out is associated with increased responsiveness to acute experimental and clinical pain stimuli, and is generally related to elevated chronic pain intensity in individuals with diverse pain conditions. Possible mechanisms for these links are explored, including negative affect, psychodynamics, central adipose tissue, symptom specific muscle reactivity, endogenous opioid dysfunction, and genetics. The opioid dysfunction hypothesis has some experimental support, and simultaneously can account for anger-out's effects on both acute and chronic pain. Factors which may moderate the anger-out/pain link are described, including narcotic use, gender, and genetic polymorphisms. Pain exacerbating effects of trait anger-out are contrasted with the apparent pain inhibitory effects of behavioral anger expression exhibited in anger-provoking contexts. Conceptual issues related to the state versus trait effects of expressive anger regulation are discussed.

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Author information

Author/s: Bruehl, Stephen (S); Chung, Ok Y (OY); Burns, John W (JW);

Affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37212, USA. Stephen.Bruehl(-atsign-)vanderbilt.edu

Grants: R01 NS38145 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS) ; R01-MH071260 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R01-NS046694 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS) ; RR-00095 (Agency:NCRR NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Review

Journal: Journal of behavioral medicine (J Behav Med), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Dec; vol 29 (issue 6) : pp 593-606

Dates: Created 2006/11/22; Completed 2007/03/13; Revised 2007/12/03;

PMID: 16807797, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Models, Biological
Opioid Peptides - genetics; metabolism
Pain - physiopathology; psychology
Personality
Psychophysiology
Sex Factors

Associated Chemicals: Opioid Peptides (0)

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