Anger experience and expression in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Emotion is involved in several medical problems, and respiratory difficulties can be exacerbated by emotion. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with depression and anger, but reports of anger are not consistent with theory about its effects on respiration in people with COPD. In this study, COPD patients ( N = 61) and healthy controls ( N = 45) participated in an interview about an angry or a neutral event. Self-reports of trait anger, and moods and anger experience in the interview were obtained. Physiological variables (heart and respiration rate) were measured during the interview, as were facial expressions. COPD patients reported more trait anger expression and less anger control; both groups reported increased anger experience in the anger interview. On the physiological variables, time by condition interactions demonstrated the differential effects of the two interviews, but did not indicate that the COPD subjects responded differently than controls. However, COPD subjects spent more time in negative facial expressions. These results show that expressions of overt anger and negative facial expressions occur more frequently in COPD patients, but there were no negative physiological consequences of anger experience. The social implications of anger in this group and the consequences of expressions involving exertion are unknown.