Anger Suppression Predicts Pain, Emotional, and Cardiovascular Responses to the Cold Pressor

Abstract

Consistent with an ironic process model and prior studies involving experimental manipulation of suppression, self-reported suppression of anger predicted greater pain intensity and perception of the anger-specific element of pain. Findings also suggest that suppression might attenuate homeostatic pressor responses to acute pain.

The effects of emotion regulation strategies on the pain experience

“…Despite some inconsistencies in findings, 9,12,26,66,74 others have also reached similar conclusions. 7,8 As we pointed out earlier in this article, it is uncertain why inconsistencies in the literature exist because examination of preexisting studies, involving contrasting results, did not reveal systematic differences in the measures, designs, controls/comparison groups, or pain induction techniques.…”

“…We do note, however, that the values for threshold and tolerance obtained in this study were highly comparable with values obtained in other studies involving the use of the thermal pain stimulator with college and university students. 23,76 In addition to methodological differences in estimating threshold and tolerance, noncomprehensive or otherwise limited approaches to quantification (eg, assessment of suppression using a single question that has not been validated 66 ) of selfreported ER strategies were utilized in some previous research. Such limited quantification could have also affected the results.…”

“…Although reappraisal strategies are associated with a reduced pain in some studies, 30,46,72 they are unrelated to pain in others. 18,78 Moreover, suppression-based strategies have been associated with increased pain 9,12,26,30,66,74 and with reduced pain. 7 These discrepancies may be, in part, due to methodological differences.…”

“…Because reappraisal is more often related to reduced pain 30,46,72 and suppression to an exaggerated more reactive response, 9,12,26,30,66,74 it was hypothesized that reappraisal would be positively related to pain threshold/tolerance and negatively related to self-reported pain, negative affect, and nonverbal expressions. We also expected that suppression would be inversely related to pain threshold/tolerance and positively related to self-reported pain and negative affect.…”

Pain-Related Rumination, But Not Magnification or Helplessness, Mediates Race and Sex Differences in Experimental Pain

“…Research suggests that emotional suppression, particularly anger suppression, is associated with worse pain 4,58,59 , whereas emotional disclosure, especially for high catastrophizers, is associated with positive pain-related outcomes 45,54,75 . Learning new ways to adaptively express their pain-related concerns (e.g., through structured written/emotional disclosure 45 ) may help high ruminators disengage from unhelpful "cognitive churning" and direct their attention and behavior to more valued life activities.…”