Anger Experience and Expression in Patients with Schizophrenia

Jung, Ho Sung; Song, Ji Young; Chung, Keun Jae

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The prejudice against the mentally deranged persons has an effect on the treatment of the mental illness and is one of the reasons why they have difficulties in social adaptation and rehabilitation. We intended to examine the characteristics and expression of the anger in schizophrenic patients to find how much anger they feel compared with general population. And we tried to find the basis on which the prejudice can be corrected. METHOD: 105 schizophrenic patients were selected according to DSM-IV. Control groups were 43 patients who were admitted to the department of internal medicine in university hospital and 65 healthy adults. The experiences and expressive patterns of anger were surveyed by State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, Korean edition. And the characteristics of the anger in the schizophrenic patients were compared with those in controls and analyzed.
RESULTS
Stateanger was significantly higher in the schizophrenic patients group than in healthy control group and trait-temperament was significantly lower in schizophrenic patients group than in other two control groups. Among the anger expression scales, anger-in and anger-control were significantly lower in schizophrenic patients group than in healthy control group. But trait-reaction and angerout showed no significant difference among three groups. And no significant difference was shown among the anger scales of three groups according to the presence of insight of the disorder.
CONCLUSION
It is shown that schizophrenic patients have considerably much anger when compared to healthy control group and insufficient ability to suppress and control the anger. But it may be said that the expressions of anger in schizophrenic patients are not apparent. These results may be due to either the weakness of ego function, which is one of the symptoms of schizophrenia, or negative symptoms following chronicity of the disorder. Unex-pected aggressiveness or violence of them may be triggered by stimuli from the circumstances, if they are not in acute phase. And the misunderstanding of general public that schizophrenic patients are dangerous unconditionally should be corrected by the education. We can't develop the appropriate strategy to cope with the anger of the schizophrenic patients until we under-stand well the characteristics of anger in them.