Why do elderly get angry so easily?

Not all negative emotions are necessarily bad. In fact, they can direct your behaviour in useful ways. If you’re stuck in traffic and running late, anger with the situation might motivate you to find an alternative route, which will then relieve your stress. But anger is less useful if you’re in the same situation, but stuck on a motorway with no option to divert.

Emotions have physiological effects, such as raising the level of cortisol in your bloodstream, that can affect your health. Indeed, a new study, published in Psychology and Aging, shows that high levels of anger are associated with poor health in older people.

The Canadian study recruited 226 adults aged 59-93 years. They took blood samples to assess levels of chronic low-grade inflammation and asked the participants to report any age-related chronic illnesses they might have, such as cardiovascular disease, arthritis and diabetes. The participants also completed a short questionnaire about the level of anger or sadness they experienced in three typical days over a one-week period.

For the analysis, the researchers considered whether age could affect the results. They found that higher levels of anger were associated with inflammation and ill health in the oldest participants (aged 80 and above), but not the youngest ones (59-79 years). Sadness was not associated with inflammation or ill health in either age group.

The study is cross-sectional, meaning that it assessed a group of people at a single point in time. To get a fuller understanding of the relationship between negative emotions and health, we need studies that follow participants for a period of time – so-called prospective observation studies. Future studies should also take into account other factors that might be involved, such as other emotions (both positive and negative), clinical depression, stress and personality.

Although this new research shows a link between emotion and health in older age, we do not know whether anger causes inflammation and illness or whether health problems make people angrier.

Emotion and health across the lifespan

Negative emotions can help people overcome life’s challenges, but this latest research suggests that specific negative emotions work differently, particularly across different stages of life, and should be assessed separately.

Older age is a period associated with decline, loss and reduced opportunities. If a challenge is difficult or impossible to overcome, anger may no longer be useful and may, indeed, lead to health problems. In contrast, sadness may be psychologically adaptive in older age, helping people accept loss and adjust to it.

These findings may paint a rather negative picture of emotional experience and its effects in older age. Yet a long line of research has shown that older people are happier. When following people over a ten-year period, positive emotional experiences are shown to increase with age, peaking at 64 and never returning to the levels observed in the average young adult.

Perhaps central to these findings is the idea that, with increasing age, comes both strength and vulnerability. The finding that older people are happier can be explained by age-related strengths in emotional regulation. As we age, we are better at avoiding or reducing exposure to negative situations and stress. But not all negativity can be avoided. In the case of high levels of sustained negative emotion, older adults may be more vulnerable, taking longer to overcome the physiological response.

Letting go of negative emotions and stereotypes

Negative emotions and health in older age is a relatively new field of research, but substantial research has investigated the relationships between attitudes to ageing and health outcomes. Holding negative age-related stereotypes earlier in life can predict cardiovascular problems in later life and brain-ageing processes associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

For example, believing that decline is inevitable may reduce the chance of a person doing what’s good for their health, such as exercising or taking their prescribed medication. So letting go of anger and other negative emotions and attitudes throughout life may be beneficial for health in later life.

It is important that older people have opportunities to be involved in mutually beneficial intergenerational communities. For example, a programme in the US brings older people into local schools to help young children learn to read. Intergenerational communities offer better social support and understanding of ageing for everyone and opportunities for older people to keep active for as long as possible.

Dad, who was always so even-tempered, now seems to snap at every little thing. He argues out loud with news commentators, and yells at other drivers when on the road. He’s getting on Mom’s nerves! Even the grandkids have noticed that Grampa’s grumpy. What’s up? Is this just a normal part of aging?

The crabby senior is a common ageist stereotype. It even has its own tagline: “You kids get off my lawn!” Yet according to Dr. Dilip Jeste of the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, our emotions usually level out as we grow older. Dr. Jeste, a geriatric neuropsychiatrist, reports that most older adults have developed coping skills over the years that help keep them on an even keel, less likely to “sweat the little things.”

Still, some changes we face in our later years can spark feelings of anger. Giving up driving and mobility challenges lessen our independence and threaten our self-esteem. We might face ageism and a lack of respect. Health problems, especially physical pain, can exacerbate anger—anyone, at any age, is likely to be more irritable when something hurts. Frustrations reverberate, and next thing, an older adult has a sudden outburst directed at the TV, or overreacts to someone who cut in line at the drive-through.

While negative emotions such as sadness and anger are natural, anger in particular can be bad for us. A recent study published by the American Psychological Association showed that over time, feeling frequently angry harms the health of older adults. Study author Meaghan A. Barlow of Concordia University explained that anger causes the body to release hormones that activate our “fight or flight” state, increasing inflammation that raises the risk of chronic illness. Barlow says the effect is more pronounced the older we are.

Other research confirms the effects of anger on health. A March 2022 study from the University of Konstanz in Germany found that older men who often feel angry are also likely to perceive, rightly or wrongly, anger in the faces of other people—and those seniors tend to have higher blood pressure.

The effect can be immediate. A 2021 study from the National University of Ireland Galway showed that feeling angry raises a person’s risk of stroke by 30% for the next hour. And a 2020 study from Yale University found that when patients with heart disease reported experiencing anger during the previous week, they performed more poorly than normal on tests of heart function. Excess anger has also been shown to raise the risk of dementia. It can also be detrimental to a senior’s relationships, leading to unhealthy loneliness and isolation.

If you are frequently angry—or maybe your spouse, children or friends say that you are—it’s important to address the problem. Here are six things you can do:

1

Start with a visit to your doctor.

Increased anger could be a sign of a physical, emotional or cognitive health problem. Have your medications reviewed—some drugs cause mood swings that make our emotions less stable. If you have arthritis or another painful condition, talk about effective pain control.

2

Learn what is causing your anger.

Experts say some people are more genetically predisposed toward anger. Others experience “displaced anger,” when frustration over one trigger spills into other areas of life. Anger even can become a habit. Keep an anger diary to learn the underlying stressors that lead to your feelings of anger.

3

Determine which stressors you might change, and which ones you can’t.

For example, loss of independence can cause anger. Maybe you lash out at family trying to help you because you’re grieving loss of control. Are there ways to enhance your independence? Accessing senior services or hiring a professional in-home caregiver can help you take back some of that control. Or if your self-esteem feels under attack, find volunteer opportunities where you can make a difference.

Do you spend a lot of time watching partisan news sources, listening to talk radio, or on social media sites? Some of those entities monetize anger to increase their audience and sell ads. A recent study from the University of Colorado and the U.S. Air Force Academy also pointed out that “political furor may spread easily.” Said study author Carey Stapleton, “Politicians want to get reelected, and anger is a powerful tool that they can use to make that happen.” This anger can be contagious, and an older adult who has a lot of time to tune in can quickly accrue a toxic dose of rage.

5

Choose activities that promote a positive mood.

Spend less time on social media and more time in pleasant surroundings—especially in nature. Studies show that immersion in green spaces can reduce feelings of anger. Go for a walk in the park, sit in the garden, or look out the window at trees. Listening to pleasant music and watching children play are other ways to feel more positive.

6

Give your lifestyle a makeover.

Get more exercise, find opportunities for socialization, and if you’re having trouble controlling your alcohol consumption, ask your doctor for advice.

Individual counseling and support groups have helped many people take control of anger. Anger management techniques might include:

• Therapy to help you identify your triggers for anger, and to understand how your life experience shapes your reactions.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy to build awareness of the underlying processes that are going on when you feel anger, and to internalize productive ways to cope with triggers.
• Training in better communication skills, to express your feelings and discuss things that trouble you before a situation escalates into a counterproductive argument.
• Mindfulness practices to help you observe the effect of anger in your body, defuse it with deep breathing, and let it go without judgment.

Anger management training can be provided by a psychiatrist, psychologist, trained counselor or social worker. Ask your doctor or an aging life care professional (geriatric care manager) for a referral to a provider who is qualified to treat older adults.

Right at Home will work with your family to select compatible, qualified professional caregivers to ensure your loved one’s well-being at home. Our unique five-step process provides just the right fit for your family. Contact your local Right at Home* today and ask for a FREE in-home consultation.

*In-home care services vary by location.