title: Associations of depression status and hopelessness with blood pressure: a 24-year follow-up study.
abstract: Hypertension is estimated to cause 12.8% of all deaths worldwide. Both literature and well-supported cognitive models indicate that hopelessness predicts depressive symptoms. This study aimed to test whether high levels of hopelessness are associated with increased blood pressure, as well as whether depression acts as a mediator between hopelessness and blood pressure. Data from the original 24-year longitudinal Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study (ECA) were analyzed via linear regression (N = 917; 60.3% female; 62.9% European American; mean age = 42.96 years, SD = 16.94). Hopelessness was found to have a significant direct relationship with systolic blood pressure (SBP, p < .05), but not with diastolic blood pressure (DBP, p > .05); while depression had no significant direct relationship with SBP or with DBP. Overall, findings indicated that hopelessness has a significant relationship with SBP. Limitations and implications are discussed.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Counseling and Human Development , University of Louisville , Louisville , KY , USA.
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Roane
authors.affiliation: a Department of Counseling and Human Development , University of Louisville , Louisville , KY , USA.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pössel
authors.affiliation: a Department of Counseling and Human Development , University of Louisville , Louisville , KY , USA.
authors.forename: Amanda M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: b Department of Mental Health , Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore , MD , USA.
authors.forename: William W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Eaton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D065026:Hope; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Depression; diastolic blood pressure; hopelessness; hypertension; systolic blood pressure