Effects of long-term psychological intervention on blood pressure and health-related quality of life in patients with hypertension among the Chinese working population

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of psychological intervention on blood pressure, health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL), and stroke prevalence in patients with hypertension among the Chinese working population. Cluster sampling was conducted in September 2013 at the Shaanxi Jinduicheng Molybdenum Group General Hospital (intervention group) and the Shaanxi Province Hancheng Mining Bureau General Hospital (control group). The intervention group received regular psychological intervention for 2 years, including cognitive, emotional, and behavioral interventions. HRQOL was measured with the Spanish Hypertension Quality of Life Questionnaire (MINICHAL). We analyzed the data from a total of 409 subjects. After 2 years of psychological intervention, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the non-anxiety subgroup, and the anxiety subgroup were lower than baseline levels and lower than those in the control group. Post intervention, the mental state, somatic symptoms, and total MINICHAL scores were significantly below baseline levels, and the stroke morbidity was lower than that in the control group. Post intervention, SBP, DBP, and the MINICHAL scores in the intervention group were lower than those in the control group. SBP, DBP, and the MINICHAL scores were lower in the intervention group after 1 and 2 years of psychological intervention, as compared with the control group. Long-term psychological intervention can thus be used as an adjunctive therapy for patients with hypertension among the Chinese working population to improve their blood pressure, HRQOL and stroke prevalence.