This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Schmitz, N. Articles by Kruse, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Schmitz, N. Articles by Kruse, J. Related Collections Anxiety Depression Blood Pressure

Mental Disorders and Hypertension: Factors Associated With Awareness and Treatment of Hypertension in the General Population of Germany

From the Douglas Hospital Research Centre (N.S.), Clinical Research Division, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; the Robert Koch-Institute (W.T.), Berlin, Germany; and the Research Unit for Public Mental Health (N.S., J.K.), Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Heinrich-Heine-University, Duesseldorf, Germany.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Norbert Schmitz, PhD, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, 6875 LaSalle Boulevard, Montreal, Quebec, H4H 1R3, Canada. E-mail: norbert.schmitz{at}douglas.mcgill.ca

Objective: The aim of the present study was to identify the association between mental disorders and awareness and treatment of hypertension in a large representative community sample.

Methods: The analysis was based on data from 4149 respondents, ages 18 to 65 years, from the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey, a nationally representative multistage probability survey conducted from 1997 to 1999. Mental disorders were assessed by a modified version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Blood pressure was measured during the medical examination by a health examiner.

Results: There was no general association between awareness of hypertension and affective, anxiety, and substance abuse/dependence disorders. Men with acknowledged but untreated hypertension more often experienced affective and substance abuse/dependence disorders than men with treated hypertension. These relationships were stable after adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that it is important to distinguish between treated and acknowledged but untreated hypertension when evaluating the associations between mental disorders and hypertension.

Key Words: hypertension • survey • depression • substance dependence

Abbreviations: BMI = body mass index; CI = confidence interval; CIDI-S = Composite International Diagnostic Screener; CIDI = Composite International Diagnostic Interview; CVD = cardiovascular diseases; DBP = diastolic blood pressure; GHS = German National Health Interview and Examination Survey; OR = odds ratio; SBP = systolic blood pressure.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Sareen, F. Jacobi, B. J. Cox, S.-L. Belik, I. Clara, and M. B. Stein Disability and poor quality of life associated with comorbid anxiety disorders and physical conditions. Arch Intern Med, October 23, 2006; 166(19): 2109 - 2116. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]