[Psychological aspects of systemic approach to intra-nosological diagnosis in arterial hypertension]. / Psikhologicheskie aspekty sistemnogo podkhoda k vnytrinozologicheskoi diagnostike pri arterial'noi gipertonii.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To evaluate significance of the program of psychological examination of patients with essential hypertension (EH) for clinicians and characterize the patients psychologically. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 46 EH patients were examined for time of trouble, stress liability, psychological reaction to the disease, factors of vitality. 24-h blood pressure (BP) monitoring was made in 40 patients. RESULTS: It is shown that in EH more frequent are hypochondriac and anxiodepressive psychological types. "White coat" hypertensive reactions (primarily, a rise of systolic blood pressure by 12.5%, on the average) were observed in any psychological types but more in the hypochondriac type. Time of trouble and stress liability were high and correlated. Cluster analysis has identified patients with the highest mean BP. Their psychological analysis is presented. CONCLUSION: The proposed program of evaluation of psychological features of somatic patients allow to define main psychological factors influencing BP. This program is available for clinicians who are not professional psychologists.