The Study of Psychological Treatment of Hypertension: Gender, Locus of Control, and Type a Personality

Abstract

One hundred patients (fifty males and fifty females) with essential hypertension participated in the study, but eighty-two, (forty-six in the treatment group and thirtysix in the delayed treatment groups), completed. All the patients were on medication. The treatment group received cognitive behaviour intervention and progressive muscle relaxation / biofeedback for 12 weeks. The gender, locus o f control and Type A and B behaviour patterns were also examined in relation to the psychological treatment. Treatment yielded a short-term success rate of 87 % defined as decrease in mean systolic blood pressure and 83% mean diastolic blood pressure to within the normal range, that is, study criteria. Other significant variables that were observed to influence therapy were marital status, level of education and duration of illness. Three months post treatment follow-up revealed that the blood pressure of patients were still within the normal range. This suggests that cognitive behaviour therapy and progressive muscle relaxation/biofeedback could be beneficial for short and long term adjunctive treatment o f essential hypertension.