The scope and significance of anger in the experience of chronic pain

Abstract

This paper is divided into 3 sections. The first provides the conceptual framework by introducing definitions of anger and related constructs and highlighting pertinent aspects of the concept of pain. The second section examines the evidence for anger as a feature of chronic pain. The available research indicates that chronic pain patients experience anger but this may be underestimated because of denial. In fact, anger stands out as one of the most salient emotional correlates of pain, even though past research has been largely confined to the study of depression and anxiety. the third section explores the significance of anger in chronic pain, in terms of its compounding effects on pain, depression and psychosocial functioning, as well as its consequences for physical health and health habits. The impact of anger among chronic pain patients for treatment outcome is discussed. Finally, the information from these sections is integrated into a model depicting the antecedents and consequences of anger as specifically associated with the chronic pain experience.