Biomedical subjects

Brenda E Hogan

Publications and source records attributed to Brenda E Hogan.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Curvilinear relationships of expressed anger and blood pressure in women but not in men: evidence from two samples.

OBJECTIVE: Early psychosomatic research proposed a hydraulic model for anger expression and blood pressure (BP); that is, people who express their anger were believed to have lower BP. Unfortunately, subsequent evaluations of this model have produced inconsistent results. In this paper, it is posited that weak methods of measuring BP, failure to address gender differences, and exclusive emphasis on linear models may have contributed to inconsistent results. DESIGN AND MEASURES: We investigated the possibility of curvilinear relationships between expressed anger and resting BP after controlling for traditional risk factors. PARTICIPANTS: Data from two samples of varying cardiovascular health status (one healthy, the other hypertensive) and ages were examined. RESULTS: Across both samples, very low and very high self-reported expressed anger was associated with the lowest diastolic BP in women. There was no equivalent finding in men. CONCLUSION: Women, but not men, have lower BP when they report to openly express their angry feelings. The results support the value of exploring curvilinear relationships and gender differences in anger expression effects on cardiovascular health.

Anger↗

PubMed2004

Anger response styles and blood pressure: at least don't ruminate about it!

BACKGROUND: Research on anger suggests a link with blood pressure (BP), but the findings are complex and highly variable; this is at least partly attributable to measurement issues. PURPOSE: In this study we used a new model of anger responding that comprises 6 independent anger response styles in 2 dimensions: Aggression, Assertion, Social Support Seeking, Diffusion, Avoidance, and Rumination. Linear and interactive relations between the anger response styles and resting and ambulatory BP were tested, controlling for traditional risk factors and level of hostility. METHODS: Data from 2 samples of different cardiovascular health status were examined. In Study 1, 109 healthy participants (45 men and 64 women) were recruited. Study 2 involved a sample of 159 hypertensive patients (90 men and 69 women). All participants provided demographic and health information; completed the Behavioral Anger Response Questionnaire, a hostility measure; and underwent resting BP measurement. Study 2 participants also provided 24-hr ambulatory BPs. RESULTS: Examination of linear effects revealed inconsistent associations between anger response styles and BP. The moderating effect of Rumination on the relationship between the other anger response styles and BP was examined next. Rumination had a deleterious influence on the relation between Avoidance and Assertion and resting and ambulatory BP levels. The moderating influence of Rumination on Social Support Seeking varied between the genders. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the results suggest that rumination is a critical moderating variable in the relation of anger and BP.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2003

There is more to anger coping than "in" or "out".

There is growing dissatisfaction with a dichotomized "anger-in" versus "anger-out" view of anger coping. Three studies using student and community adultsamples revealed a broader understanding of the nature of anger coping styles and led to the development of the new Behavioral Anger Response Questionnaire (BARQ). The BARQ is empirically derived and factorially validated and has good psychometrics. Results suggest that dichotomizing anger responses as "in" versus "out" is too coarse and that a 6-factor model may be more appropriate. The 6 factors identified here are Direct Anger-Out, Assertion, Support-Seeking, Diffusion, Avoidance, and Rumination. Women reported use of a wider range of anger coping styles, especially more social support-seeking and more use of anger diffusion strategies than men.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2002

Social support interventions: do they work?

Presence of support has repeatedly been linked to good long-term health outcomes based on demonstrations of better immune function, lower blood pressures, and reduced mortality (among others). Despite a massive literature on the benefits of support, there is surprisingly little hard evidence about how, and how well, social support interventions work. Using a computerized search strategy, 100 studies that evaluated the efficacy of such interventions were located. The presenting problems ranged from cancer, loneliness, weight loss, and substance abuse to lack in parenting skills, surgery, and birth preparation. For the purpose of review and evaluation, studies were subdivided into (1) group vs. individual interventions, (2) professionally led vs. peer-provided treatment, and (3) interventions where an increase of network size or perceived support was the primary target vs. those where building social skills (to facilitate support creation) was the focus. On the whole, this review provided some support for the overall usefulness of social support interventions. However, because of the large variety of existing different treatment protocols and areas of application, there is still not enough evidence to conclude which interventions work best for what problems. Specific methodological and conceptual difficulties that plague this area of research and directions for future research are discussed.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A quantitative review of prospective evidence linking psychological factors with hypertension development.

OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively review and critique evidence from prospective cohort studies (greater than 1 year follow-up) assessing associations between psychological factors (eg, anxiety, anger, depression) and hypertension development. METHODS: Keyword searches through the MEDLINE and Psychlit (1970 to present) databases produced in excess of 500 studies, of which only 10 met criteria as a prospective cohort design with a follow-up interval exceeding 1 year. Five additional longitudinal studies were found by tracing references from the above papers. RESULTS: The sample-weighted aggregate effect sizes for hypertension risk were small for continuously measured psychological factors (r =.08), and effect sizes were similar for separate categories of psychological variables (r values =.07-.09). Effect sizes were not associated with reported methodological or sample characteristics, including sample size, racial and sex composition, study duration, or age. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, there is moderate support for psychological factors as predictors of hypertension development, with the strongest support for anger, anxiety, and depression variables. Pooled effects for these factors are of sufficient magnitude to suggest potential clinical as well as statistical relevance. Findings regarding potential mechanisms are scarce and the psychometric properties of the scales used to measure psychological variables are often not established. Indications for future research are discussed.

Adult↗