A long-term study of midlife women found that both age and reproductive stage influence how anger is experienced and expressed.
Investigators tracked 271 women for over a decade and identified emotional trends tied to both chronological aging and the menopausal transition.
Participants, aged 35 to 55 years, completed repeated surveys between 1990 and 2006. They answered standardized psychological assessments measuring various aspects of anger, including intensity, frequency, and methods of expression or control. Menstrual calendars were also used to determine each woman’s stage of reproductive aging.
The study, led by Nancy Fugate Woods of the Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Clinical Informatics,University of Washington, Seattle, WA, and colleagues, found that with increasing age, scores for State Anger (anger in the moment), Trait Anger (general tendency toward anger), and Anger Control (efforts to manage or suppress anger) rose. In contrast, scores for Anger Temperament (tendency to become angry without clear cause), Anger Reaction (response to provocation), Anger Expressed Aggressively, and Hostility declined. Anger Suppression, or holding anger in without expression, remained unchanged over time.
These findings suggest that as women age, they may become more aware of their anger but also more skilled at regulating it—potentially reflecting broader emotional regulation associated with aging.
When reproductive aging was considered separately from chronological aging, investigators found that State Anger, Trait Anger, and Anger Temperament peaked during the late reproductive and early menopausal transition stages, then declined in postmenopause. Other anger dimensions, including suppression and aggressive expression, were not significantly affected by reproductive stage.
Investigators noted that both biological and psychosocial factors likely influence these patterns. Hormonal fluctuations during perimenopause, combined with life changes and evolving social roles, may shape emotional responses. Although hormone levels were not measured in this particular analysis, earlier research in the same cohort reported changes in estrogen and cortisol during the menopausal transition.
Participants were racially diverse, mostly well-educated, and employed. None were taking hormone therapy, allowing the study to assess natural emotional and physiological changes over time.
This research represents one of the most detailed longitudinal assessments of anger in women through midlife. It highlights the importance of considering both age and reproductive stage in understanding emotional well-being. The findings may inform future work on emotion regulation, mental health, and conditions such as cardiovascular disease, which have previously been associated with anger and hostility.
Understanding how anger evolves during midlife may help guide strategies to support women’s emotional health through the menopausal transition and beyond.
The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
Source: The Menopause Society