Hostility and Health: Current Status of a Psychosomatic Hypothesis

Recent research has renewed interest in the potential influence of hostility on physical health. This review indicates that the evidence available from prospective studies, although not entirely consistent, suggests that hostile persons may be at increased risk for subsequent coronary heart disease...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health psychology 1992, Vol.11 (3), p.139-150
Main Author: Smith, Timothy W
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Coronary Disease - etiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Emotions
Female
Health
Hostility
Human
Humans
Literature Review
Male
Personality
Personality Disorders - complications
Personality Disorders - psychology
Prospective Studies
Psychophysiologic Disorders - etiology
Research Design
Social Support
Somatoform Disorders
Type A Personality
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Summary:Recent research has renewed interest in the potential influence of hostility on physical health. This review indicates that the evidence available from prospective studies, although not entirely consistent, suggests that hostile persons may be at increased risk for subsequent coronary heart disease and other life-threatening illnesses. Further, several plausible mechanisms possibly linking hostility and health have been articulated and subjected to initial evaluation. Hostile individuals display heightened physiological reactivity in some situations, report greater degrees of interpersonal conflict and less social support, and may have more unhealthy daily habits. Additional research is needed, and it must address a variety of past conceptual and methodological limitations. Perhaps the most central of these concerns are the assessment of individual differences in hostility and the role of social contexts in the psychosomatic process. Key words: hostility, coronary heart disease (CHD), personality, physiological reactivity, psychosomatics
ISSN:0278-6133
1930-7810
DOI:10.1037/0278-6133.11.3.139