Do anger expression and emotional distress affect diabetes patients' well-being?

Preliminary results demonstrated that anger coping style is linked to mental and physical health in diabetes (Kolbasovsky, 2004; Yi et al., 2008). The present study examined the effect of anger expression and emotional distress on well-being of diabetics. A sample of diabetic patients (n1⁄488 type I, n1⁄4111 type II) completed the WHO-five well-being index, the Problem Areas in Diabetes scale and the State-Trait-Anger-Expression-Inventory. Results showed that diabetics with type I demonstrated significantly more emotional distress than type II patients and that well-being was negatively correlated with emotional distress and anger in. Regression analyses showed that well-being was predicted for both types of diabetes by emotional distress. In addition, type II patients’ well-being could be explained by anger in. These findings confirmed anger in as a risk factor of type II diabetics’ mental health. Considering these results, anger-management interventions may be useful in particular for type II diabetics’ patients.