Hostility and health: current status of a psychosomatic hypothesis

Recent research has renewed interest in the potential influence of hostility on physical health. This review indicates that the evidence available from prospective studies, although not entirely consistent, suggests that hostile persons may be at increased risk for subsequent coronary heart disease and other life-threatening illnesses. Further, several plausible mechanisms possibly linking hostility and health have been articulated and subjected to initial evaluation. Hostile individuals display heightened physiological reactivity in some situations, report greater degrees of interpersonal conflict and less social support, and may have more unhealthy daily habits. Additional research is needed, and it must address a variety of past conceptual and methodological limitations. Perhaps the most central of these concerns are the assessment of individual differences in hostility and the role of social contexts in the psychosomatic process.