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Elevated blood pressure and personality: a meta-analytic review
R S Jorgensen1, B T Johnson, M E Kolodziej
1Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, New York 13244-2340, USA. rsjorgen@syr.edu
Psychological Bulletin
|September 1, 1996
Summary
Elevated blood pressure (BP) and essential hypertension (EH) link to less outward emotion and more negative feelings. Personality
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cardiovascular Health
- Behavioral Medicine
Background:
- Essential hypertension (EH) is a complex condition with potential links to psychological factors.
- Understanding the relationship between personality traits and blood pressure is crucial for comprehensive health management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To meta-analytically examine the associations between blood pressure (BP) and personality measures.
- To investigate potential moderators influencing the BP-personality relationship.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a meta-analysis of 295 effect sizes from 25,469 participants.
- Analyzed associations between elevated BP/EH and affect expression, negative affectivity, and defensiveness.
- Examined moderating factors such as awareness of BP status, gender, occupation, and BP measurement type.
Main Results:
- Confirmed that elevated BP and EH are associated with lower affect expression and higher negative affectivity and defensiveness.
- Strongest links observed between defensiveness, anger, and affect expression in interpersonal contexts.
- Identified awareness of BP status, gender, occupation, and BP measurement type as significant moderators.
Conclusions:
- A simplistic view of personality directly causing EH is not supported.
- Multifactorial and synergistic approaches are necessary to fully understand the interplay between personality, behavior, and EH.