Anger Management and Factors that Influence Anger in Physicians

Year 2011, , 62 - 68, 01.01.2011

Emel Koçer Abdulkadir Koçer Fatih Canan

https://doi.org/10.5174/tutfd.2009.02721.4

Abstract

Objective: There are limited data regarding anger and its management with respect to physicians and many other professionals. Our objective was to evaluate anger expression and control in physicians. Material and Methods: The physicians of the Düzce School of Medicine were the participants in the study. Physicians were assigned to either an internal medicine or a surgery study group. Each group contained physicians from several specialties. The Spielberger State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, and the Beck Anxiety and Depression Inventories were administered to all participants. The physicians (n=158) were evaluated and compared with controls (n=105) in terms of anger control and sociodemographic variables. Results: Anger-control scores were higher in physicians (p<0.01) and in those who willingly chose the medical profession (p<0.05). Age, number of years as a physician, and the specialty were negatively correlated with anger management in physicians working in the surgical disciplines (p<0.01). Only Beck anxiety and depression scores were positively correlated with anger-trait scores and anger-in scores for physicians working in the internal medicine disciplines (p<0.01). Conclusion: Physicians were relatively successful in coping with anger. A willingness to choose the medical profession was a factor influencing anger control. Age was the major factor affecting anger management in physicians.

Keywords

Age, anger, anxiety, depression, doctor, internal medicine, surgery

Anger Management and Factors that Influence Anger in Physicians

Abstract

Keywords

Age, anger, anxiety, depression, doctor, internal medicine, surgery

References

• Tanaka-Matsumi J. Cross-cultural perspectives on anger. Anger Disorders: Definition. Diagnosis and Treatment. Kassinove H (Ed). Washington: Taylor&Francis; 1995;81-90.
• Frijda NH, Mesquita B. The social role and functions of emotions. Emotion and Culture. S. Kitayama HR. Markus (Eds.). Washing- ton: American Psychological Association; 1994;51-87.
• Russell JA. Culture and categorization of emotions. Psychol Bul- letin 1991;110:426-50.
• Biaggio MK. Sex differences in behavioral reactions to provoca- tion of anger. Psychol Rep 1989;64:23-6.
• Spielberger CD Crane RS Kearns WD, Pellegrin KL, Rickman RL. Anger and anxiety in essential hypertension. Stress and Emotion: Anxiety. Anger and Curiosity. Spielberger CD (Ed). New York: Taylor&Francis; 1991;265-79.
• Kassinove H, Sukhodolsky DG. Anger disorders: basic science and practice issues. Anger Disorders: Definition. Diagnosis and Treatment. Kassinove H (Ed). Washington: Taylor&Francis; 1995;1-26.
• Robins S, Novaco RW. Systems conceptualization and treatment of anger. J Clin Psychol 1999;55:325-37.
• Defenbacher JL, Oetting ER, Lynch RS, Morris CD. The expres- sion of anger and its consequences. Behaviour Research and Therapy 1996;34:575-90.
• Linden W, Hogan BE, Rutledge T, Chawla A, Lenz JW, Leung D. There is more to anger coping than ‘‘in’’ or ‘‘out’’. Emotion 2003;3:12-29.
• Schuerger JM. Understanding and controlling anger. Helping Clients with Special Concerns. Elsenberry S, Patterson LE (Eds). London: Houghton Mifflin Company; 1979;79-102.
• Siegman AW. Cardiovascular consequences of expressing, expe- riencing, and repressing anger. J Behav Med. 1993;16:539-69.
• Fava M, Anderson K, Rosenbaum JF. Anger attacks: possible vari- ants of panic and major depressive disorders. Am J Psychiatry 1990;147:867-70.
• Bridewell WB, Chang EC. Distinguishing between anxiety. de- pression and hostility: Relations to anger-in anger-out and con- trol. J Pers Individ Dif 1997;22:587-90.
• Biaggio MK, Godwin WH. Relation of depression to anger and hostility constructs. Psychol Rep 1987;61:87-90.
• Minarik MJ, Myatt R, Mitrushina M. Adolescent multiphasic per- sonality inventory and its utility in assessing suicidal and violent adolescents. Suicide Life Threat Behav 1997;27:278-84.
• Horesh N, Rolnick T, Iancu I. Anger, impulsivity and suicide risk. Psychother Psychosom 1997;66:92-6.
• Fava M, Anderson K, Resenbaum JF. Anger attacks: possible vari- ants of panic and major depressive disorders. Am J Psychiatry 1990;147:867-70.
• Ricci Bitti PE, Gremigni P, Bertolotti G, Zotti AM. Dimensions for anger and hostility in cardiac patients, hypertensive patients and controls. Psychother Psychosom 1995;64: 162-72.
• Siegman AW. Cardiovascular consequences of expressing, expe- rience and repressing anger. J Behav Med 1993;16:539-69.
• Spielberger CD, Jacobs G, Russell S et al. Assessment of anger: The State-Trait Anger Scale. In: Advances in Personality Assess- ment. Vol 2. Butcher JN, Spielberger CD (Eds). Hillsdale. NJ: LEA; 1983;159-87.
• Deffenbacher JL. Trait anger: theory, findings and implications. Advances in Personality Assessment 1992;9:177-201.
• Kassinove H, Sukhodolsky DG. Anger disorders: basic science and practice issues. Issues Compr Pediatr Nurs 1995;18:173-205.
• Deffenbacher JL, Huff ME, Lynch RS, Oetting ER, Salvatore NF. Characteristics and treatment of high anger drivers. Journal of Counseling Psychology 2000;47:5-17.
• Deffenbacher JL, Lynch RS, Filetti LB, Dahlen ER, Oetting ER. Anger, aggression, risky behavior, and crash-related outcomes in three groups of drivers. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 2003;41: 333-49.
• Conroy DE, Silva JM, Newcomer RR, Walker BW and Johnson MS. Personal and participatory socializes of the perceived le- gitimacy of aggressive behavior in sport. Aggressive Behavior 2001;27:405-18.
• Roy A. Suicide in doctors. Psychiatr Clin North Am 1985;8:377-87.
• Rose KD, Rosow I. Physicians who kill themselves. Arch Gen Psy- chiatry 1973; 29:800-5.
• Chick J. Doctors With Emotional Problems: How Can They Be Helped? Hawton K, Cowen P. (Eds). Practical Problems in Clinical Psychiatry. New York: Oxford University Press; 1992;242-53.
• Olfson M, Shea S, Feder A, Fuentes M, Nomura Y, Gamerff M et al. Prevalence of anxiety, depression and substance use dis- orders in an urban general medicine practice. Arch Fam Med. 2000;9:876-83.
• Rucinski J and Cybulska E. Mentally ill doctors. Br J Hosp Med 1985;33:90-4.
• Murray RM. Alcoholism amongst male doctors in Scotland. Lan- cet 1976;12:729-33.
• Kaplan HI, Sadock BJ. Relation Problems. Synopsis of Psychiatry. 8th Edition. New York: Williams &Williams; 1988;845.
• Firth-Cozens J. Depression in Doctors. Robertson MM and Ka- tona CLE. (Eds). Depression and Physical Illness (Perspectives in psychiatry. Vol.6). Chicester: John Wiley & Sons; 1997;95-115.
• Stoner SB, Spencer WB. Age and gender differences with the Anger Expression Scale. Educ Psychol Meas. 1987;47:487-92.
• Allan S, Gilbert P. Anger and anger expression in relation to per- ceptions of social rank, entrapment and depressive symptoms. Personality and Individual Differences 2002;32:551-65.
• Kuppens P, Van Mechelen I, Meulders M. Every cloud has a silver lining: interpersonal and individual differences determinants of anger-related behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulle- tin. 2004;30:1550-64.
• Buntaine RL, Costenbader VK. Self-Reported Differences in the Experience and Expression of Anger Between Girls and Boys. Sex Roles 1997;36:625-37.
• Stoner SB, Spencer WB. Age and gender differences with the Anger Expression Scale. Educ Psychol Meas 1987;47:487-92.
• Kopper BA, Epperson DL. Women and anger: sex and sex role comparisons in the expression of anger. Psychology of Women Querterly 1991;15:7-14.
• Kopper BA, Epperson DL. The experience and expression of anger: relationships with gender, gender role socialization, de- pression and mental health functioning. Journal of Counselling Psychology 1996;43:158-65.
• Milovchevich D, Hovvells K, Drew N, Day A. Sex and gender role differences in anger: an Australian community study; Personality and Individual Differences 2001;31:117-27.
• Sharkin BS. Anger and gender: theory, research and implications. J Couns Dev 1993;71:386-9.
• Piltch CA, Walsh DC, Mangione TW, Jennings SE. Gender, work and mental distress in an industrial labor force: An expansion of Karasek’s job strain model. In GP Keita & JJ Hurrell (Eds). Job stress in a chan ging workforce. Washington. DC: American Psy- chological Association; 1994;39-54.
• Timmers M, Fischer AH, Manstead ASR. Gender differences in motives for regulating emotions. Personality and Social Psychol- ogy Bulletin 1998;24:974-985.
• Long BC. Sex-role orientation coping strategies and self-efficacy of women in traditional and nontraditional occupations. Psychol- ogy of Women Quarterly 1989;13:307-24.
• Bhatnagar D. Professional women in organizations: New para- digms for research and action. Sex Roles 1988;18:343-55.
• Payne KE, Cangemi J. Gender differences in leadership. Ife Psy- chologia 1997;5:22-43.
• Koelbel PW, Fuller SG, Misener TR. Job satisfaction of nurse practitioners: An analysis using Herzberg’s theory. Nurse Practi- tioner 1991;16:43-9.
• Riardion J. Prestige: Key to job satisfaction for community health nurses. Publ Health Nurs 1991;8:59-64.