ANGER REGULATION, HEALTH, AND CULTURE

Abstract

Anger is among the basic and universal emotions that human beings display. However, certain forms of anger expression have implications on the health of the individuals; albeit differentially since anger expression differ amongst individuals and across cultures. The aim of this research is to establish the relationship between anger and health among the Saudi-Arabians including Anger Expression-Out, Anger Expression-In, and Anger Control, and relating these expressive styles to health, such as Anxiety and Depression, and overall quality of health. Seventy-five participants were recruited from a university in Saudi Arabia and they completed a 45-minute questionnaire which was then subjected to a series of hierarchical multiple regressions. We found that anger out predicted greater depression and poorer self-reports of physical health, with a gender moderated effect for physical health showing that this relationship was significantly stronger for women than men. The impacts of our findings are discussed in terms of culture specific expressive styles and health outcomes.