Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral stress management intervention on quality of life and blood pressure in female patients with hypertension

Psychological interventions may improve the quality of life in patients with hypertension through affecting the bio-psycho-social dimensions. This study is aimed to assess the efficacy of cognitive- behavioral stress management (CBSM) group intervention on quality of life and blood pressure in females with hypertension. This research was an experimental study using pre- post- and follow-up tests. Sample was consisted of 30 hypertensive patients who were selected randomly and assigned into two groups; experimental (n=15) and control (n=15). Health Survey questionnaire (SF-36) was used for data collection and recording of blood pressure measurements before and after the intervention and during the follow-up period. CBSM group intervention was directed for the experimental group for 8 sessions. Meanwhile both groups were kept under their routine medical treatments. Data were analyzed by ANCOVA. After the intervention, the mean SF-36 score in the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group (p<0.05) and the blood pressure of experimental group was decreased compared with that of the control group (p<0.05). The results demonstrated the effectiveness of CBSM group intervention in the improvement of quality of life and blood pressure in the females with hypertension.