Personal and Interpersonal Factors Moderate the Relation Between Human-Made Trauma and Hypertension: A Path Analysis...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Cardiology
• Psychology

Background:

• The connection between trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and hypertension is known but not fully understood.
• Mechanisms linking trauma exposure to hypertension require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test a model examining how psychological factors (emotion regulation) and interpersonal factors (social support) moderate the relationship between trauma, PTSD, and hypertension.
• To explore the mediating role of PTSD in the trauma-hypertension pathway.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 212 patients from internal medicine in Bukavu, a region with prolonged armed conflict.
• Self-reported questionnaires assessed trauma, PTSD, emotion regulation, social support, and hypertension.
• Statistical analyses included mediation and moderated path analysis.

Main Results:

• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was found to partially mediate the association between human-made trauma and hypertension.
• Social support and maladaptive emotion regulation were identified as moderators influencing the trauma-PTSD relationship.

Conclusions:

• Psychological and interpersonal factors significantly modulate the pathway from human-made trauma to hypertension via PTSD.
• Interventions focusing on enhancing emotion regulation and social support may help reduce PTSD and hypertension in populations exposed to violence.