Abstract
M.A. (Psychology)
Anger, hostility and aggression have long been regarded as
important factors in the etiology of essential hypertension and
coronary heart disease.
Fast changing lifestyles and cultural differences are among a
few of the factors that create stress, 'disease', stress in
addition to the development of the self-generation of stress by
means of the type A behavioral pattern. Anger and aggression
are components that apparently account for the largest amount of
variance in the type A behavior pattern. These emotions are
again associated with elevated systolic blood pressure levels.
The aim of this study was therefore to determine whether hypertension
was indeed associated with anger and aggression amongst
urban as well as rural Blacks in South Africa. Seftel (1980)
found a very high prevalence of hypertension in Johannesburg
Blacks and Seedat (1978) found a similarly high prevalence in
Durban Zulu, possibly lending support to the hypothesis that
urbanization was associated with the development of the type A
behavioural pattern, and thus causal to the development of
hypertension.
Two groups, one consisting of hypertensives, and the other of
people with other cardiovascular diseases were subjected to the
Anger-Expression Scale and the Grant Urban-Rural Scale.
The result of the study provided support for the
thesis while the hypothesis that stated that
hypertension would indicate a higher urbanization
supported.
In essence the results of the study indicated that there was a
definite correlation between elevated blood pressure levels
among urban Black South Africans and the chronic suppression of
anger and aggression, as well as the inability to express these
emotions.