Overview

• Analysis of more than 500 women aged 35 to 55 in the Seattle Midlife Women’s Health Study found significant age-related decreases in anger temperament, reactions, aggressive expression and hostility.
• Reproductive-aging stages also corresponded with lower anger measures, with marked reductions emerging after the late-reproductive phase.
• Suppressed anger was the sole trait unaffected by aging, indicating that internalized hostility persists even as other forms of anger wane.
• Despite reporting more frequent and intense feelings of anger over time, participants exhibited stronger self-calming and control strategies to limit external outbursts.
• Researchers call for further studies of anger in everyday contexts to guide tailored emotion regulation interventions for women during the menopause transition.