Latest news with #emotionalRegulation
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Women get angrier as they age - but they learn to manage it better from midlife, study suggests
Women get angrier as they age but they learn to manage it better from midlife as their 'emotional regulation' improves, a study suggests. Educating women about mood changes and managing the symptoms can have a 'profound effect' on their quality of life, experts say. The frequency with which women feel anger and the intensity of the emotion actually increases over time, the findings show. But they typically learn to calm themselves down and control how they externalise it, becoming less likely to express anger indiscriminately. The same is true of their propensity to react angrily when criticised or treated unfairly and to act aggressively towards other people and objects. Researchers from the University of Washington examined data on more than 500 women aged 35 to 55 years, who provided details of their menstrual cycles and regularly answered questions designed to assess their anger. Analysis revealed that chronologic and reproductive age both have a significant effect on a woman's level of anger and her ability to manage it. Anger was defined as 'antagonism toward someone or something, often accompanied by a propensity to experience and express it indiscriminately'. Writing in Menopause, the journal of the Menopause Society, the study authors said: 'Aging was significantly related to anger, with anger expression indicators decreasing with age, suggesting emotion regulation may occur during midlife.' Studies of anger and its health implications in midlife women date back to 1980 but have predominantly focused on heart disease, blood pressure and depression. Dr Monica Christmas, associate medical director for The Menopause Society, said: 'The mental health side of the menopause transition can have a significant effect on a woman's personal and professional life. 'This aspect of perimenopause has not always been acknowledged and managed. 'It is well recognised that fluctuations in serum hormone concentrations during the postpartum period, as well as monthly fluctuations in reproductive-aged women corresponding with their menstrual cycles and during perimenopause, can result in severe mood swings associated with anger and hostility. 'Educating women about the possibility of mood changes during these vulnerable windows and actively managing symptoms can have a profound effect on overall quality of life and health.' The researchers would like to see further studies of women's anger in the context of everyday life to help inform emotion regulation and anger management strategies and their consequences for midlife and older women.
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
How 52-hour work weeks could be altering your brain structure
Working 52 or more hours per week may alter brain structure, particularly in areas related to problem-solving, memory, and emotional regulation. A study of healthcare workers found that those working long hours had noticeable changes in brain regions associated with cognitive functions and emotional processing. Researchers observed a 19 per cent increase in left caudal middle frontal gyrus volume in overworked individuals, a brain region crucial for attention, working memory, and language processing. The study highlights the need for further research into the long-term cognitive and emotional effects of overwork and emphasises the importance of workplace policies to mitigate excessive working hours. A UK survey revealed that nearly a quarter of workers regularly exceed the legal maximum working hours, and 44 per cent consider working beyond contracted hours as part of their company culture.
