Anger in chronic pain: Investigations of anger targets and intensity

The study was designed to assess the frequency and intensity of patients' a nger directed toward various potential targets and how intensity of anger t oward different targets was related to the chronic pain experience. Ninety- six chronic pain patients who were referred for a comprehensive evaluation completed questionnaires to assess their levels of anger, pain. distress, a nd disability. Approximately 70% of the participants reported to have angry feelings. Most commonly, patients reported to be angry with themselves (74 %) and health care professionals (62%). The relevance of anger to chronic p ain experience seemed to vary across targets. Anger toward oneself was sign ificantly associated with pain and depression, whereas only overall anger w as significantly related to perceived disability. The results suggest that anger should be conceptualized as a multifactorial construct. In addition t o presence, intensity, and expression of anger, targets of anger may be imp ortant to better understand psychological expression to chronic pain. (C) 1 999 Elsevier Science Inc.