The interaction between depressive mood and mastery among men and women aged 55-years at baseline with a diagnosis of arterial hypertension: a 13-year follow-up study
Authors: Sammul S 
Published: July 2022

Abstract

Funding Acknowledgements
Type of funding sources: None.

Background
Arterial hypertension is well-established risk factor which causes morbitity and premature mortality. Estonia has one the highest case rate of arterial hypertension among European countries. According to several scientific research the presence of arterial hypertension reduces health related quality of life (1) and causes higher level of depressive mood (2). Mastery is a self-belief which refers to the extent of which individual see himself/herself as being in control of the forces that importantly affect his/her live (3). A higher level of mastery is associated with lower level of depressive mood (3), higher level of quality of life among individuals with a diagnosis of chronic disease (1,4).

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interaction of quality of life, depressive mood and mastery among individuals with a diagnosis of hypertension compared individuals without a diagnosis of arterial hypertension.

Methods
330 55-years-old participants from Estonia formed the sample basis in the second wave of the study. 44 participants passed away before the second wave. The initial sample size of the follow-up study was 286. In total, 219 subjects (46.6% of them were male) participated in the second wave. Arterial hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure of ≥140 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure of ≥90 mm Hg or use of antihypertensive medications. Study subjects with a diagnosis of arterial hypertension (I10, I11 by ICD-10) were divided into the group of hypertension (Group I, 52.9% of participants) and the rest participants into the group of non-hypertension (Group II). A self-reported questionnaire were used. The influence of psychosocial factors were assessed by Depression Model, Gothenburg Quality of Life Instrument, and personality traits by Pearlin Mastery Scale. Cronbach´s alpha was for the Depressive Model 0.72, Gothenburg Quality of Life Instrument 0.99, and the Pearlin Mastery Scale 0.77 in the second wave of this study.

Results
After 13 years, in the group I (study subjects with arterial hypertension) the total score of depressed mood score was higher (p&lt;0.05), total score of quality of life was lower (p&lt;0.05), and the level of mastery was lower (p&lt;0.05) compared to the group II (Table 1). After adjustment for gender, age, marital status, and educational level, the linear regression analysis showed that the level of mastery and quality of life score were related to depressive mood (R Square = 0.101, F 3, 115 = 6.331, p&lt;0.01) among individuals with a diagnosis of arterial hypertension.

Conclusions
Among 55-year-old men and women with diagnosis of arterial hypertension depressed mood was linked with mastery and quality of life score. Personal resource as mastery is, as a buffer, influencing individual responses to depressive mood. The study results are usable in clinical practise to understand the psychosocial background of the patient in order to achieve productive health intervention.