Psychological traits in hypertension

Abstract

Background The relationship between psychological factors and hypertension has not been established. Such traits as alexithymia, hostility, and neuroticism are the most common suggested dimensions of personality that are contributable to essential hypertension. However, the researches have yielded inconsistent results. The purpose of the study was the estimation of certain psychological traits in hypertensives.
Material and methods We have studied 42 persons with hypertension and 57 of control group. Participants were recruited from persons who volunteered to participate in free medical control of circulation diseases organized in small polish village. Hypertensive group consisted of subjects who had the diagnosis of hypertension and were treated because of this or in who the office blood pressure measurement was higher than 140/90 mmHg. Psychological traits were estimated by using following questionnaires: the Bermond-Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire (BVAQ), The Cook-Medley Hostility Scale, The Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, and two subscales from Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R) - neuroticism and lie.
Results Statistically significant differences were noted in alexithymic difficulty in verbalizing mean score (hypertensives - 25.76/normotensives - 23.57; p = 0.032), in the value of difference between alexithymic emotional and cognitive dimensions (-1,96/1,64; p = 0,024) and in neuroticism score (14.8/12.21; p = 0.02). Abovementioned differences became statistically non relevant when age difference between groups was accounted. However, there were some positions in neuroticism and BVAQ scales that differed between groups. From these positions two separate scales were constructed. Mean values of these scales differed between groups even when age was accounted. Analysis of these scales indicated that differences between groups concerned tendency to experience negative emotions and recognizing emotions.
Conclusions Hypertensives had the tendency of greater emotional reactivity and lower ability to identify and verbalize emotions.