Childhood maltreatment and anger expression in adulthood: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Childhood maltreatment is accepted as having a long-term negative impact on emotional development. Anger expression refers to the way that people manage and act on their anger responses. This registered review sought to explore the association between childhood maltreatment and anger expression in adulthood. A search of databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, PsycINFO, JSTOR, Scopus, EMBASE, and Web of Science) was conducted. After removing duplicates, 4,804 papers were reviewed and 27 met the final inclusion criteria for this review. Studies included correlations and predictive models focused on protective factors, vulnerability factors, and psychosocial outcomes. Meta-analyses revealed a statistically significant association between childhood maltreatment and adult Anger-In (K = 8, r = 0.17, 95% CI [0.12, 0.21]) and Anger-Out (K = 10, r = 0.20, 95% CI [0.16, 0.24]) but not Anger Control (K = 5, r = -0.04, 95% CI [-0.18, 0.09]). Some heterogeneity was observed in funnel plots. Subgroup analyses revealed no difference between types of maltreatment. We conclude that childhood maltreatment may have a longer-term impact on anger expression as part of emotional development. This is particularly true for survivors who have challenges with suppressing anger or explosive displays of anger.