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Quantifying the density of Friedman's pathogenic emotions (AIAI)
M W Ketterer1, W R Lovallo, M A Lumley
1Department of Psychiatry, Henry Ford Health Sciences Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Detroit.
International Journal of Psychosomatics : Official Publication of the International Psychosomatics Institute
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Chronic negative emotions, like aggravation, irritation, anger, and impatience (AIAI), link psychosocial factors to ischemic heart disease (IHD). The Framingham Type A Scale best identified AIAI, even when patients denied it.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cardiology
- Psychosomatic Medicine
Background:
- Psychosocial factors influence ischemic heart disease (IHD) through psychoneuroendocrine and psychobehavioral pathways.
- Chronic negative emotional arousal is a key mediator, but denial can be a measurement error.
- Understanding the association between negative emotions and IHD is crucial for prevention and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between patient- and proxy-reported chronic aggravation, irritation, anger, and impatience (AIAI) and established measures of Type A Behavior or hostility.
- To assess the reliability of different Type A/hostility measures in relation to self- and proxy-reported AIAI.
- To investigate the role of denial in the reporting of AIAI.
Main Methods:
- Two samples were used: 175 men undergoing coronary angiography and 56 age/SES-matched healthy males.
- Patient-reported and spouse/friend-reported AIAI were collected.
- Four measures of Type A Behavior/hostility were assessed: Framingham Type A Scale (FTAS), Cook-Medley Hostility Scale, Type A Structured Interview, and a Hostility rating from the Structured Interview.
Main Results:
- Chronic AIAI was underreported by patients compared to spouse/friend reports; Depression and Anxiety/Worry were overreported by patients.
- All four Type A/hostility measures correlated significantly with both patient- and proxy-reported AIAI.
- The Framingham Type A Scale (FTAS) demonstrated the highest reliability across both reporting sources and was negatively associated with denial of AIAI.
Conclusions:
- The Framingham Type A Scale is a reliable measure for assessing chronic AIAI, even in the presence of patient denial.
- Addressing chronic negative emotions, particularly those related to Type A behavior, may be important in managing the risk of ischemic heart disease.
- Future research should consider both patient and proxy reports to mitigate measurement errors like denial in psychosomatic studies.