Is gestational hypertension associated with affective temperaments?

ABSTRACT

Objective

Gestational hypertension (GH) is an important pregnancy complication. Sparse studies have shown a correlation between this complication and psychological disorders in patients. In this study, we aimed to assess the possible association between affective temperaments and GH.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted on women with GH hospitalized in hospitals affiliated with Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, compared with healthy women admitted for normal delivery in the same centers during the study. Data were collected via Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego-Auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) 21.

Results

TEMPS-A revealed that scores anxious (P < 0.001) temperament was significantly higher in GH patients than in controls. Anxious temperament scores ≥9 were independently associated with GH (odds ratio = 2.768, 95% confidence interval = 1.586–4.832; P < 0.001). Moreover, the mean depression, anxiety, and stress scores in DASS-21 were significantly higher in the GH patients compared with controls (P = 0.014, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

Affective temperaments, particularly anxious temperament, can be potentially involved in the development of GH and its cardiovascular risk during pregnancy.

KEYWORDS:

• Affective temperaments
• TEMPS-A
• DASS-21
• gestational hypertension

Acknowledgments

This study is based on a thesis by Dr. Sara NaghizadehKashani (study number: 951514). The authors wish to thank the Vice Chancellor for Research, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences for their financial support of the study.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Vice Chancellor for Research, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences [951514].