ABSTRACT
This chapter presents information on the epidemiology of anger problems, a summary of research on treatment of anger problems, information on the assessment and selection of clients for anger treatments, and an outline of a cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) approach to anger treatment. As a normal human emotion, anger has considerable adaptive value, although there are sociocultural variations in the acceptability of its expression and the form that such expression takes. Anger has been found to predict physical aggression by psychiatric hospital patients, prior to admission, in the hospital and subsequently in community after discharge. Data reported by Kassinove et al show general comparability between Russian and American participants, and no gender differences in anger frequency, which is a common finding. Unlike frequency, degree of anger intensity is more clearly indicative of dysfunction, because high arousal has cognitive interference effects and high intensity anger leads to impulsive behaviour, over-riding inhibitory controls. A defining characteristic of anger is engagement of antagonistic behaviour.
