Despite clear interpersonal, physiological, behavioral, and emotional consequences, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition ( DSM-5) and most abnormal psychology textbooks inadequately describe maladaptive anger. Although there is no recent published research on coverage of maladaptive anger in psychology courses, it is reasonable to assume that coverage is lacking, especially compared to coverage of other emotion-rooted disorders like sadness and anxiety. This lack of coverage is particularly troubling, given that researchers have long recognized the potential problems that stem from maladaptive anger and have also developed many approaches for treating problematic anger. This article describes the absence of anger disorders in the DSM-5, outlines the rationale for covering anger in psychology courses, and provides best practices for such coverage.
