A test of the unique and interactive roles of anger experience and expression in suicidality: findings from a population-based study.

This study examined the unique and interactive roles of anger experience and expression in suicidality (suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts) in a large, nationally representative sample. Participants included 5692 adults from the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication, a nationally representative survey. Anger experience was assessed through a continuous measure, whereas anger expression problems were determined by the presence of an intermittent explosive disorder diagnosis. Tests of unique associations revealed that for the overall sample, anger experience and expression each predicted a unique variance in all outcomes of suicidality. Among the individuals reporting lifetime suicidal ideation, anger experience and expression were uniquely related to suicide attempts. Analyses also revealed anger experience and expression to interact in the prediction of suicidal ideation, suggesting that these have independent and additive effects on risk for suicide. The findings suggest that both anger experience and expression contribute to suicidality and the progression from suicidal ideation to plans and attempts.