[Examination of anger reactions and psychiatric diagnoses in terms of gender in a group of university students having difficulty with anger control].

OBJECTIVE We aimed to determine axis-I and axis-II diagnoses and identify gender difference in anger reactions among young adults who have difficulty controlling their anger. METHOD Students from various faculties who had difficulty controlling their anger were invited to the psychiatry department. The SCID-I, SCID-II, Multidimensional Anger Scale, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Social Comparison Scale, Boratav Depression Screening Scale, and Beck Hopelessness Scale were administered to consecutive admissions of 50 males and 50 females. RESULTS Axis-I diagnoses were present in 60% of males and 74% of females. Axis-II diagnoses were present in 28% of males and 36% of females. Somatoform disorders and impulse control disorder were higher in males, whereas anxiety disorders and mood disorders were higher in females. Depression was diagnosed in 10% of males and 36% of females. "Not being taken seriously" was the most prominent reason for anger among females. The "Revenge reactions" score was strongly correlated with the education level of the mother in both genders (in females r=0.472, p=0.001; in males r=-0.396, p=0.006). The best predictor of an axis-I diagnosis in women was the "anger symptoms" total score, whereas it was the "thoughts related to anger" subscale score in males. On the other hand, the best predictors of an axis-II diagnosis were "anxious behavior" in females and "smoking" in males. CONCLUSION Anger is an important component of psychiatric disorders. Reaction styles and underlying psychiatric disorders vary according to gender.