Exploring the Relationship between State, Trait Anger and Anxiety in Anxiety Disorders

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between state-trait anger and anxiety in anxiety disorders. Anxiety was measured using State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, Gorscush & Laushane, 1970; Hindi translation) and anger was measured using State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (Saini & Sovani, 2008; Hindi translation), in 35 (21 female) participants diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. The sample consisted of patients with GAD (40%), OCD (48.57%) and social anxiety (11.43%). Data analysis included t test and spearman’s correlation. Significant associations were found between (1) state anxiety and state anger; (2) trait anxiety and trait anger; and (3) anxiety (state and trait) and anger suppression. No gender differences were found in the experience of anger and anxiety. Results are discussed along with strengths and limitations of the study and some future recommendation.