Mood reactivity to daily social conflict in hostile adults: An experimental intervention
Abstract
Objective: Previous evidence suggests that prolonged exposure to social conflict may be associated with increased cardiovascular risk, and individuals who are high in dispositional hostility may be particularly sensitive to these effects. Based on established literature linking individual differences in central nervous system serotonergic function to antagonistic disposition and impulsive aggression, we hypothesized that a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor could be used to reduce hostility, social conflict, and the response of hostile individuals to social conflict.
Method: Prescreened for high dispositional hostility, participants were randomized to citalopram or placebo and they monitored their daily experiences over two 3-day periods using ecological momentary assessment methods, once before and once during a 6-week treatment. During these two monitoring periods, participants answered hourly questions about current activities, affect, and social interaction quality.
Results: There were no intervention effects on aggregate momentary measures of social conflict or hostile mood. Hostile mood reactivity to social conflict, however, was reduced over the course of treatment, and to a much greater extent in the drug than in the placebo condition.
Conclusions: Citalopram reduces hostile mood responses to social conflict during daily life in dispositionally hostile adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
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Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design.
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