ANGER MANAGEMENT STYLE, HOSTILITY AND SPOUSE RESPONSES - GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PREDICTORS OF ADJUSTMENT AMONG CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS

This study examined whether relationships between anger management sty le (anger suppression; anger expression) and adjustment variables for patients with chronic pain depend on patient hostility, and/or depend on a patient's gender. A 'spouse response model' was also evaluated to test whether patient expression of hostile anger is linked to infrequ ent positive and frequent negative responses from spouses, and hence t o poor adjustment. The sample of 127 married chronic pain patients was assessed prior to entry into a multidisciplinary pain treatment progr am. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed significant 'Anger Expr ession x Hostility x Gender' interactions for pain severity, activity interference and activity level: High Anger Expressor/Low Hostile wome n reported the lowest pain and highest activity; Low Anger Expressor/H igh Hostile men reported the highest pain and highest interference, Am ong men, support was also found for a spouse response model: pain seve rity and activity interference for High Anger Expressors was partly ac counted for by negative spouse responses. Results suggest that discrim inations among patients may be made based on anger management style in interaction with level of hostile attitude and the patient's gender, and that these distinctions may have implications for understanding me chanisms of pain and disability, and for designing appropriate treatme nt.