Anger and children's health: Differentiating role of inward versus outward expressed anger on sleep, medical service utilization, and mental health. Issue 3 (2nd July 2016) - Kidwell, Katherine M.
ABSTRACT: Objective : To examine the differential associations between children's anger expression styles and selected health constructs. Method : Measures assessed sleep problems, medical service utilization, and mental health in 125 children ( M = 9.48 years). Results : Anger expression styles predicted health outcomes in a multivariate model. As hypothesized, anger-out significantly predicted sleep problems, number of medical visits, externalizing problems, and internalizing problems. Anger-in was not significantly related to any health outcome measure. Conclusion : This study demonstrates the importance of anger expression styles for health, as they are differentially related to impairments. Clinicians are urged to recognize anger problems to broadly impact children's health.