Understanding Anger Disorders

Since classical times, philosophers and physicians have identified anger as a human frailty that can lead to violence and human suffering, but with the development of a modern science of abnormal psychology and mental disorders, it has been written off as merely an emotional symptom and excluded from most accepted systems of psychiatric diagnosis. Yet despite the lack of scientific recognition, anger-related violence is often in the news, and courts are increasingly mandating anger management treatment. It is time for a fresh scientific examination of one of the most fundamental human emotions and what happens when it becomes pathological, and this thorough, persuasive book offers precisely such a probing analysis. Using both clinical data and a variety of case studies, esteemed anger researchers Raymond DiGiuseppe and Raymond Chip Tafrate argue for a new diagnostic classification, Anger Regulation and Expression Disorder, that will help bring about clinical improvements and increased scientific understanding of anger. After situating anger in both historical and emotional contexts, they report research that supports the existence of several subtypes of the disorder and review treatment outcome studies and new interventions to improve treatment. The first book that fully explores anger as a clinical phenomenon and provides a reliable set of assessment criteria, it represents a major step toward establishing the clear definitions and scientific basis necessary for assessing, diagnosing, and treating anger disorders.

Table of Contents:
Part I: Theory and Research. 1. Anger, The Forgotten Emotion 2. Ubiquitous and Intangible: The Problem of Defining Anger 3. How Anger Differs From Other Emotions Part II: Anger and Aggression. 4. Theories of Anger and Aggression 5. Anger as a Moderator of Violence 6. A Proposed Model of the Relationship Between Anger and Aggression Part III: Cognitive and Behavioral Models of Anger. 7. Behavioral Models of Anger 8. Cognitive Models of Anger Part IV: Anger and Co-morbidity. 9. Anger and Axis I Pathology 10. Anger and Depression 11. Anger and Personality Disorders Part V: Diagnosis of Anger Disorders. 12. Objections to Formalizing Anger Disorders 13. Functional and Dysfunctional Anger 14. Proposed Criteria for Anger Disorder 15. Subtypes of Disturbed Anger Part VI: Intervention. 16. A Review of the Anger Treatment Outcome Literature: What We Know Works 17. Roadblocks to Successful Treatment of Angry Clients 18. Preparing Clients for Anger Treatment 19. A Comprehensive Model of Anger Treatment 20. Epilogue

About the Author :
Raymond DiGiuseppe is Professor and Chair in the Department of Psychology, St. John's University. Raymond Chip Tafrate is Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice, Central Connecticut State University.

Review :
"[The authors] have succeeded in producing a richly detailed scientific treatise on the proper role of anger in the study of emotions and behavioral disorders. The book is greatly enhanced by the inclusion of numerous brief clinical vignettes drawn from their own experiences as psychologists."--PsycCRITIQUES "Offering a comprehensive account of anger research and interventions to reduce anger, DiGiuseppe and Tafrate succeed at untangling the relationships between the emotional response of anger and aggressive behavior."--Choice