Anger profiles among individuals seeking treatment for maladaptive anger: Associations with emotion regulation

Abstract

Individuals who experience problems with anger represent a heterogeneous group. Identifying clinically relevant subtypes of anger may advance treatment research. In the current study, latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to explore if distinct subtypes of anger could be identified within a sample of individuals seeking treatment for maladaptive anger (N = 538; 55.4% females; mean age = 39.78, SD = 12.28). Furthermore, the utility of the empirical classification was examined based on differences in usage of emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, mindful emotion awareness and relaxation) across subtypes. Four anger profiles were identified in the best-fitted LPA model: Low Anger (n = 153, 28.4%), Anger In (n = 91, 16.9%), Moderate Anger (n = 193, 35.9%) and High Anger (n = 101, 35.5%). Results from the multinominal regression revealed that the use of emotion regulation differed across all profiles. Participants from the High Anger and Anger In profiles exhibited distinct patterns of dysfunctional emotion regulation. The results add to the increasing amount of evidence demonstrating a link between emotion regulation strategies and maladaptive anger. Clinical implications on how to tailor treatments for individuals with maladaptive anger are discussed.

Targeting maladaptive anger with brief therapist-supported internet-delivered emotion regulation treatments: A randomized controlled trial.

“…Manuscript 1 (the present article) focuses on STAXI-2, AQ, and ARS reported at baseline, during treatment, posttreatment, and at 3-month follow-up. Manuscript 2 (Larsson et al, 2022) focuses on STAXI-2, AQ, and ARS reported at baseline. While there is some overlap in variables, the research questions, analyzed sample, and analytical procedure are different from Manuscript 1.…”

The inner workings of anger: A network analysis of anger and emotion regulation

“…Another strategy commonly involved in overregulation of anger is rumination (Larsson et al, 2023). Anger rumination refers to a cognitive‐emotional process of dwelling on past anger experiences and frustrations (Sukhodolsky et al, 2001).…”

“…In essence, ruminative anger may function as a secondary emotion in warding off unwanted primary emotions (for a more in‐depth exploration of anger as a primary and secondary emotion; see Pascual‐Leone et al, 2013). Although distinct, under‐ and overregulation can also coexist (Furlong & Smith, 1998; Larsson et al, 2023). For instance, an individual may have problems inhibiting angry behavior and aggressive impulses in certain situations whilst continuously suppressing and avoiding anger in others.…”

“…For instance, an individual may have problems inhibiting angry behavior and aggressive impulses in certain situations whilst continuously suppressing and avoiding anger in others. Indeed, a recent study identified a subgroup of individuals with elevated scores on anger expression and anger suppression, who reported low levels of putatively adaptive emotion regulation strategies (i.e., underregulation) as well as high levels of expressive suppression (i.e., overregulation; Larsson et al, 2023). In fact, it has been suggested that under‐ and overregulation may, at times, both serve an avoidance function where anger, in the former case, is avoided using, for example, suppression, and in the latter case, through aggressive acts that may temporarily reduce feelings of anger (Gardner & Moore, 2008).…”

“…For example, the relative effectiveness of strategies, such as cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, is commonly evaluated in frustration tasks in the laboratory (Memedovic et al, 2010; Szasz et al, 2011). Yet, in practice, difficulties in regulating anger can rarely be tracked to one specific emotion regulation strategy (Larsson et al, 2023; Roberton et al, 2012). Thus, rather than studying a single emotion regulation strategy in isolation from other strategies, it may be more appropriate to examine anger and its regulation from a systemic perspective.…”