Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
11:18
Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat
Published on: September 12, 2014
Anger experience and expression across the anxiety disorders
David A Moscovitch1, Randi E McCabe, Martin M Antony
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, Anxiety Treatment and Research Centre, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario,Canada.
Depression and Anxiety
|February 22, 2007
Summary
People with panic disorder, social phobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder experience more anger than others. Depression influences these anger differences in anxiety disorders.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Anger experiences and expressions can vary significantly across different psychological conditions.
- Understanding these variations is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of anxiety disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the experience and expression of anger in individuals with four distinct anxiety disorders and non-clinical controls.
- To determine if specific anxiety disorders are associated with heightened anger or aggression.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Reaction Inventory and Aggression Questionnaire to assess anger.
- Recruited 112 participants meeting DSM-IV criteria for panic disorder (PD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), social phobia (SOC), specific phobia (SPC), and non-clinical controls.
- Employed statistical analyses to compare anger levels across groups, controlling for depressive symptoms.
Main Results:
- Patients with PD, OCD, and SOC reported significantly higher anger propensity than controls.
- Specific phobia (SPC) patients did not differ from controls in anger experience.
- PD patients showed greater anger aggression than controls and OCD patients; SOC patients reported lower verbal aggression than controls.
- Most observed differences were attenuated when controlling for depression.
Conclusions:
- Anger experience and expression are significantly altered in several anxiety disorders, particularly PD, OCD, and SOC.
- The relationship between anxiety disorders and anger is complex and partially mediated by comorbid depression.
- Further research is warranted to explore the clinical implications and therapeutic targets related to anger in anxiety disorders.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Anxiety: Overview
Anxiety is a common mental disorder featuring excessive worry, fear, and apprehension, significantly affecting daily life. People with anxiety disorders experience persistent and intense anxiety, interrupting their everyday functioning.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
01:30Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a chronic condition characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry that persists for at least six months, significantly interfering with daily functioning. Unlike situational anxiety, which arises in response to specific stressors, GAD often occurs without a clear cause. Individuals may experience disproportionate worry about work, health, or relationships. For instance, a person might continuously fear poor health despite normal medical evaluations or...
01:28Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is characterized by an intense fear of social situations where one might face humiliation, rejection, embarrassment, or negative evaluation. This disorder leads individuals to avoid activities like casual conversations, public speaking, or seemingly simple tasks such as eating, signing documents, or swimming, in public settings. Its impact extends beyond discomfort, often significantly interfering with daily functioning and quality of life.
01:22Behavior Therapy
Behavior therapy incorporates diverse techniques rooted in classical conditioning principles to address maladaptive behaviors and anxiety disorders. These methods aim to reduce avoidance behaviors, foster adaptive coping mechanisms, and alter associations between stimuli and responses, making them effective in a wide range of therapeutic contexts.
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
01:27Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent and sudden minutes-long episodes of intense fear, known as panic attacks. These attacks may feel like heart attacks and often happen without warning or a specific cause. They can include symptoms such as rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, chest pain, trembling, sweating, dizziness, and a sense of helplessness. During a panic attack, individuals may feel as though they are experiencing a heart attack or are in a...
01:26Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview
Anxiolytic drugs are vital in managing anxiety disorders by effectively alleviating symptoms such as excessive fear, tachycardia, and tremors. There are several classes of anxiolytic medications, each with unique mechanisms of action and potential side effects.
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic circuitry.
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic circuitry.