IS MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSIBLE FOR ANGER OUTBURSTS AND ULTIMATELY HYPERTENSION?

Objectives: To explore the relationship of depression, anxiety, and stress (mental health) with anger dimensions and to study that if these mental states predict hypertension disease? Methodology: Cross-sectional research design was used in the current research. Data was collected from 3 public sector hospitals of Lahore from May 15, 2019 to September 30, 2019. Sample of (N = 240) consecutive hypertensive patients with Mage 43.0707 ± 7.99 were recruited. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995), and State Trait Anger Expression Inventory (Spielberger, 1988) were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and independent samples t-test were carried on for data analyses. Results: Significant positive correlation of depression, anxiety, and stress with anger dimensions was explore. Depression appeared as predictors of state anger, trait anger, anger in, anger control, and total anger (p<0.05). Anxiety emerged as predictor of state anger, trait anger, anger in, anger control, and total anger and stress as predictor of state anger, trait anger, anger in, anger control, and total anger. Significant gender differences appeared in depression, anxiety, stress, state anger, trait anger, anger in, anger control, and total anger (p<0.05). Conclusion: Depression, anxiety, and stress have a significant relationship with anger and hypertension disease.

The Impact of Pathological Narcissism on Affect Following Social Rejection

Previous research has shown that narcissism is associated with interpersonal difficulties and maladaptive affective responses to social rejection. In the current studies, the authors examined two phenotypes of pathological narcissism, narcissistic grandiosity and narcissistic vulnerability, and their impact on individuals' affective responses in two distinctive social rejection paradigms. Participants from Study 1 (N = 239), recruited from a multicultural university and Amazon's Mechanical Turk, completed Cyberball, a computerized social rejection paradigm. Participants from Study 2 (N = 238) were recruited from a multicultural university and participated in an in vivo group rejection paradigm in a laboratory. Results indicated that following the rejection in both studies, narcissistic vulnerability positively predicted explicit negative affect and state anger. In addition, the positive relationship between narcissistic vulnerability and explicit negative affect was moderated by greater implicit negative affect in Study 2. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.

Mad, Sad, or Sleepy? Relationships between Postpartum Maternal Anger, Depression, and Sleep: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Background: Although some women experience anger as a mood problem after childbirth, postpartum anger has been neglected by researchers. Poor maternal and infant sleep quality during the postpartum period has been associated with depressive symptoms; however, links between sleep quality and postpartum anger are unclear. This study aimed to determine the proportions of women with significant anger, depressive symptoms, and comorbid anger and depressive symptoms, and to examine maternal and infant sleep quality as correlates of postpartum anger. Methods: This cross-sectional survey study was advertised as an examination of mothers’ and babies’ sleep. Women, with healthy infants between 6 and 12 months of age, were recruited using social media. The survey contained validated measures of maternal and infant sleep quality, and maternal fatigue, social support, anger, depressive symptoms, and cognitions about infant sleep. Results: 278 women participated in the study. Thirty-one percent of women (n = 85) reported high anger levels (≥ 90th percentile on State Anger Scale) while 26% (n = 73) of mothers indicated probable depression (>12 on Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale). Women reported a mean of 6.2 hours of sleep (SD = 1.2 hours, range = 4 – 9 hours); over half of the participants rated their sleep as poor (n = 144, 51.8 %). Using robust regression analysis, income (b = -0.74, p < 0.05), parity (b = 2.05, p < 0.01), depressive symptoms (b = 0.59, p < 0.01), maternal sleep quality (b = 0.98, p < 0.05), and maternal anger about infant sleep (b = 0.50, p < 0.01) were significant predictors of maternal anger. Conclusions: Maternal sleep quality and anger about infant sleep are associated with maternal state anger. Clinicians should educate families about sleep pattern changes during the perinatal time frame and assess women’s mood and perceptions of maternal and infant sleep quality in the first postpartum year. They can also offer evidence-based strategies for improving parent-infant sleep. Such health promotion initiatives could reduce maternal anger and support healthy maternal-infant sleep.

The influence of anger on empathy and theory of mind

Social cognition allows humans to understand and predict other people’s behavior by inferring or sharing their emotions, intentions and beliefs. Few studies have investigated the impact of one’s own emotional state on understanding others. Here, we tested the effect of being in an angry state on empathy and theory of mind (ToM). In a between-groups design we manipulated anger status with different paradigms in three studies (autobiographical recall (N = 45), negative feedback (N = 49), frustration (N = 46)) and checked how this manipulation affected empathic accuracy and performance in the EmpaToM. All paradigms were successful in inducing mild anger. We did not find the expected effect of anger on empathy or ToM performance but observed small behavioral changes. Together, our results validate the use of three different anger induction paradigms and speak for rather weak behavioral effects of mild state anger on empathy and ToM.

RC-RAGE Manuscript_preprint_03.22.2021

Lack of self-control has been theorized to predict an individual’s likelihood to engage in antisocial behaviors such as impulsive aggression upon provocation, but existing measures have not allowed for the specific examination of costly, reactive aggression. We introduce a novel paradigm, the Retaliate or Carry-on: Reactive AGgression Experiment (RC-RAGE) to fill this methodological gap, and test to what extent dispositional impulsivity, self-control, aggression, and state anger contribute to aggression upon provocation when there is a financial cost involved. We find that costly retaliation is strongly linked to dispositional aggression, the tendency to act impulsively, and angry state affect, but less affected by other forms of self-control (e.g., delay of gratification) or social desirability. This work sheds light on the prominent role of motor impulsivity in predicting reactive aggression that has a tangible financial cost and provides a tool for the future investigation of reactive aggression in an experimental setting.

Depression, risk factors, and coping strategies in the context of social dislocations resulting from the second wave of COVID-19 in Japan

Background Social dislocations resulting from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have been prolonged, which has led to general population social suppression. The present study aimed to reveal risk factors associated with mental health problems and suggest concrete coping strategies in the context of COVID-19. Methods A web-based survey was conducted in July when Japan was experiencing a second wave of COVID-19. Demographics, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), state anger, anger control, and the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced were measured. Multivariate logistic regression analysis on PHQ-9 scores by set variables was conducted. Results The participants were 2708 individuals, and 18.35% of them were depressed. Logistic regression analysis showed that in the order of odds ratios (ORs), underlying disease (OR = 1.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.32–2.92), not working (OR = 1.85, CI = 1.22–2.80), negative economic impact (OR = 1.33, CI = 1.01–1.77), state anger (OR = 1.17, CI = 1.14–1.21), anger control (OR = 1.08, CI = 1.04–1.13), age (OR = 0.97, CI = 0.96–0.98), high income (OR = 0.45, CI = 0.25–0.80), and being married (OR = 0.53, CI = 0.38–0.74) were predictors of depressive symptoms. Regarding coping strategies, planning (OR = 0.84, CI = 0.74–0.94), use of instrumental support (OR = 0.85, CI = 0.76–0.95), denial (OR = 0.88, CI = 0.77–0.99), behavioural disengagement (OR = 1.28, CI = 1.13–1.44), and self-blame (OR = 1.47, CI = 1.31–1.65) were associated with probable depression. Conclusions During prolonged psychological distress caused by COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of depressive symptoms in Japan was two to nine times as high as before the COVID-19 pandemic, even though Japan was not a lockdown country. Although some coping strategies were useful for maintaining mental health, such as developing ways, alone or with others, to address or avoid social dislocations, the influence of demographics was more powerful than these coping strategies, and medical treatments are needed for high-risk individuals.

Profiles of Depressive Symptoms and Anger in Men: Associations With Postpartum Family Functioning

Background: Evidence suggests that men commonly experience depression as feelings of anger; yet, research has not investigated what this means for the manifestation of depressive symptoms in the early years of fatherhood and for key indicators of family functioning.Methods: Using data from a longitudinal cohort study of men at the normative age for entering fatherhood (28–32 years), we conducted latent class analyses to identify patterns of depressive symptoms and 3 sub-types of state anger (feeling; verbal; physical). We then assessed whether class membership was associated with paternity status (n = 535). In a subsample of fathers of infants aged up to 18 months (n = 162), we prospectively assessed associations with paternal-infant bonding, co-parenting, perceived social support, paternal involvement in childcare and alcohol use up to 2 years later.Results: Five classes emerged that differentiated men by anger and depressive symptom severity and by the degree to which men endorsed the feeling of wanting to express anger physically. Compared to the reference class with minimal symptoms, fathers had a higher probability of being in either the mild or most severe symptom classes. Men in symptomatic classes were at higher risk of lower levels of social support, co-parenting problems, and paternal-infant bonds. Class membership was not associated with alcohol use or paternal involvement in childcare.Conclusions: Our results reveal patterns of co-existing symptoms of depression and anger in fathers of infants that will be relevant to men's own need for support, their family safety, partner mental health and child developmental outcomes.

The Impact of Pathological Narcissism on Affect Following Social Rejection

Previous research has shown that narcissism is associated with interpersonal difficulties and maladaptive affective responses to social rejection. In the current studies, the authors examined two phenotypes of pathological narcissism, narcissistic grandiosity and narcissistic vulnerability, and their impact on individuals’ affective responses in two distinctive social rejection paradigms. Participants from Study 1 (N = 239), recruited from a multicultural university and Amazon's Mechanical Turk, completed Cyberball, a computerized social rejection paradigm. Participants from Study 2 (N = 238) were recruited from a multicultural university and participated in an in vivo group rejection paradigm in a laboratory. Results indicated that following the rejection in both studies, narcissistic vulnerability positively predicted explicit negative affect and state anger. In addition, the positive relationship between narcissistic vulnerability and explicit negative affect was moderated by greater implicit negative affect in Study 2. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.