Objectives: This study was to investigate the characteristic symptoms of socalled hwabyung, a syndrome related to anger.
Methods: One hundred and fifteen normal healthy volunteer and 279 patients with anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, major depressive disorder without psychotic features, and dysthymic disorder completed a self-rating questionnaire which include the Korean version of SCL-90, and selected Korean culture-related symptoms, and the severity of hwabyung. The data was statistically analyzed with t-test, chi2-test, Spearman correlation test and cluster analysis.
Results: The symptoms of hwabyung group were severer than in non-hwabyung group, and hwabyung was characterized by the symptoms of chest stifling/oppression, impulse to go-out, a pushing-up sensation in the chest, weeping, mortification, heat sensation, sighing, depersonalization, many dreams, hate, shame, paranoid feeling, easily being frightened, blurred vision, fearfulness, destructive impulsiveness, absent mindedness, cold sensation, pleading, irritability, intolerance to the heat and facial flushing as well as typical neurotic symptoms such as anxiety states, depression and obsessive-compulsiveness.
Conclusion: These results suggest that an anger disorder can be conceptualized.
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