Introduction: This study focused on the widely examined psychosomatic diseases - diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension as chronic conditions. The Buss-Perry validated questionnaire was used in it to measure aggression in Bulgarian conditions.
Aim: To study aggression as a predictor and a connection of the chronic diseases diabetes and hypertension.
Material and methods: The number of the studied people was 142: 54 (38%) men and 88 (62%) women. Thirty-six of them had musculoskeletal disorders (77.8% women and 22.2% men), 54 had diabetes mellitus (29% women and 25% men) and 52 had hypertension (31% women and 21% men).
Results: During the statistical analysis of the data, the results from the Buss-Perry questionnaire were compared in the group of patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus with chronic diseases, related to musculoskeletal disorders.
Conclusion: The study revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in 95% of the cases between anger, hostility in patients with diabetes, hypertension and musculoskeletal disorders. The highest levels of physical aggression were observed in patients with arterial hypertension, M = 17.32 ± 0.86. The highest average levels of verbal aggression were observed in patients with diabetes, M = 15.24 ± 0.64. The highest levels of anger were observed with patients with hypertension, M = 17.96 ± 0.90, and hostility - in patients with hypertension, M = 19.15 ± 0.86. The comparison between the four Aggression Questionnaire scales showed statistically significant differences between the patients with musculoskeletal disorders and the ones with hypertension and diabetes.
Keywords: Buss-Perry questionnaire; aggression; arterial hypertension; chronic diseases; diabetes mellitus; psychosomatics.
© 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.