Browsing by Subject "lapsuuden erokokemus"

Objectives: Hostility and anger in adulthood have been associated with adverse consequences such as coronary heart disease, early mortality, worse mental health and social problems. It is therefore important to study the antecedents of hostility and anger. Previous studies have shown that low socioeconomic status in childhood and in adulthood and traumatic experiences are associated with higher hostility and anger in early and middle adulthood. However, very few studies exploring the association of traumatic experiences and hostility or anger have used large population-based cohorts, and no studies have explored the association in older adults. The aim of this study was to test whether emotional and physical traumas, childhood separation from parents and low socioeconomic status in childhood and adulthood are associated with hostility and anger in late adulthood. Second aim was to test whether the accumulation of these stressful experiences and the age at the time of the first traumatic experience are associated with hostility and anger in late adulthood. Methods: Participants were 1702 people who were born in Helsinki between 1934–1944 (women 55.9 %, average age 63 years) and were part of the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study. The participants filled out a psychological survey between 2001–2004. Emotional and physical traumas were measured with Traumatic Experiences Checklist, hostility with Cook-Medley Ho-scale and trait anger with Spielberger's Trait Anger Scale. The information about childhood and adulthood socioeconomic status and childhood separation from parents due to war time evacuation were retrieved from registers. Linear regression was used as the analysis method. Results: An experience of an emotional or physical trauma and their frequency were associated with higher levels of hostility and anger in late adulthood. Emotional and physical traumas were also separately related to higher levels of hostility and anger. Age at the first emotional or a physical trauma had an effect on hostility: having experienced the first trauma in childhood was associated with higher hostility level, whereas having experienced the first trauma in adulthood was not. Experiences of an emotional or physical trauma were associated with higher anger level regardless of age at the first traumatic experience. Low socioeconomic status in adulthood was associated with higher hostility but not anger. Low socioeconomic status in childhood or childhood separation from parents were not associated with hostility or anger. However, the cumulative number of these stressful experiences was associated with higher levels of hostility and anger. Conclusions: Emotional and physical traumas and the accumulation of stressful experiences during the life course may predispose to higher hostility and anger in late adulthood.