Anger could 'lead to future mental health problems'

People in the UK are getting angrier which could lead to future mental health problems.

A study by the Mental Health Foundation has found that 64 per cent of people believe the population is getting angrier in general.

The study found that a failure to manage anger can lead to physical and mental health issues and also more extreme ailments such as heart disease and cancer.

Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the MHF, said "We need to be able to recognise when anger is damaging our lives, ask for help and receive it."

He pointed out that the difference in attitudes between different forms of problems, citing people getting help for depression, anxiety, phobia's and eating disorders.

Dr McCulloch added that: "It seems extraordinary that we are left to fend for ourselves when it comes to an emotion as powerful as anger."

The study found that 13 per cent of women said they had trouble controlling their anger compared to 12 per cent of men. However 31 per cent of men admitted they were concerned at how angry they felt, compared to 25 per cent of women.

Professor Louis Appleby, government health tsar, told the BBC that it would not be regular practise for people with anger to be referred to mental health services, saying "anger alone as it is not considered a mental disorder".


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