Dimensions of Anger Reactions (DAR-5): a useful screening tool for anger in the general population.

Background: Dimensions of Anger Reactions (DAR-5) is a brief 5-item instrument to assess experience of anger. We aimed to verify the DAR-5 as a screening instrument in the community.

Methods: A sample of 368 apparently healthy adults who attended an outpatient ambulatory facility self-reported on the DAR-5 scale, the Spielberger's State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Indicators of reliability and validity were calculated to demonstrate the performance of the DAR-5.

Results: According to the DAR-5, around half the respondents found themselves becoming angry with people or situations and reported persistent duration of anger. Antagonism towards others was the least frequently experienced anger (8.4%). The DAR-5 was found to be reliable and stable, showing a significant correlation with the BAI and PHQ-9 for both sexes. In confirmatory factor analysis, a one-dimensional structure of anger experience was demonstrated through salient fit statistics. A cut-off > 8 was the best threshold against STAXI for discriminating cases of anger, irrespective of sex.

Conclusions: The shortness of the DAR-5, along with its cost-effective applicability, qualifies this measuring tool as a useful instrument for inclusion in the routine assessment of anger reactions in the general population.Key pointsThis is the first time the validity of DAR-5 has been demonstrated in a developing country.The Portuguese version of DAR-5 has appropriate sensitivity and high specificity.The DAR-5 demonstrated to be a reliable and stable instrument, irrespective of sex.