The Intersection of Mental Health and Hypertension

Purpose: Mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety are serious public health issues globally. Likewise, hypertension is a significant public health issue across the globe and is the leading risk factor for chronic cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Several studies have reported the association between mental health conditions and chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. This study aims to determine the association between mental health conditions and hypertension among adults living in the United States using data from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

Methods: Secondary data analysis of 2021 NHIS data was conducted to explore the association between mental health conditions and hypertension among U.S. adults. Mental health conditions were determined using self-reported data on depression, and anxiety (whether or not they have even been told by a doctor or health professional if they had any type of depression or anxiety disorder). Hypertension was also determined by the self-report data by the participants who were diagnosed by a doctor or other health professional of ever having hypertension. Weighted multiple logistic regression models were conducted to measure the relationship between mental health conditions and hypertension. Models were adjusted for key covariates.

Results: In the 2021 NHIS survey, approximately 55% (unweighted) of the participants were female. Among the different mental health conditions, depression was significantly associated with hypertension among U.S. adults, in which adults with depression are 1.443 times more likely to have hypertension than those without depression in 2021 (OR=1.443; 95% CL 1.311, 1.589). Whereas anxiety was found to not have a significant association with hypertension among U.S. adults in 2021(OR=1.051; 95% CL 0.947, 1.167) while controlling for covariates. The covariates measured include – serious psychological distresses, sex, educational levels, race, and ethnicity. Sex was also significantly associated with hypertension among U.S. adults in which males are 1.172 times more likely to have hypertension than women (OR= 1.172; 95% CL 1.106, 1.242).

Conclusion: Depression was significantly associated with hypertension among US adults in 2021. Consistent with the results of previous studies, the result from this study indicates that men are more likely to have hypertension than women. The results from this study support the evidence of the intersection between chronic conditions and mental health, suggesting the need for primary healthcare providers to support mental health in patients seeking care for chronic disease.