Relationships Among Trait Repetitive Negative Thinking Types, Mental Health, and Blood Pressure

Cardiovascular problems affect nearly half of all American adults and are the leading cause of death. Mental health problems like anger/hostility, anxiety, and depression are associated with hypertension and hypotension, but the mechanisms underlying these associations remain unclear. Based on the perseverative cognition hypothesis and Selye's stress model, trait repetitive negative thinking (RNT) may represent one such mechanism. We conducted a two-wave study with a 2-week time lag. The sample included104 participants who were largely White (77.9%), non-Hispanic (92.3%), heterosexual (68.3%), women (73.1%), and assigned female at birth (79.8%) with at least some post-secondary education (53.8%). After controlling for self-reported aggression, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms, we examined the associations between self-reported trait anger rumination, brooding, reflection, stress-reactive rumination, and worry measured at wave 1 and resting systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) measured at wave 2. Our regression analyses revealed that trait brooding was negatively associated with SBP and DBP. Trait anger rumination and worry were negatively associated with DBP only. Trait reflection, stress-reactive rumination, and the mental health problems (aggression, anxiety, and depressive symptoms) were not associated with blood pressure. Our findings are consistent with predictions derived from the third (exhaustion) phase of Selye's stress response model. Additional research is needed, particularly multi-year prospective studies and clinical trials demonstrating that psychological interventions targeting RNTs (particularly brooding) and mental health also affect cardiovascular outcomes. These findings provide preliminary evidence to support the integration of psychological interventions targeting RNTs in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular health problems.