The effects of hostility on blood pressure and depression: Role of conscious defensiveness

Abstract

This study used the approach-avoidance interpersonal conflict model to test the hypothesis that conscious defensiveness would enhance the effects of hostility on casual blood pressure and depression. The subjects were healthy schoolteachers (56 males and 48 females), aged 22 to 59 years. They completed a battery of questionnaires that contained the Japanese version of the Japanese version of Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BAQ) for hostility, the Conscious Defensiveness Questionnaire (CDQ) for conscious defensiveness, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) for depression. Conscious defensiveness had no significant influence on the relationship between hostility and blood pressure. In contrast to earlier studies, hostility was a predictor of lower diastolic blood pressure in men. In addition, the hypothesis on depression was not supported. In order to prevent from developing cardiovascular disease and depression, future studies should investigate the role of conscious defensiveness in the effects of hostility on casual blood pressure and depression as well as the alleviating influence of hostility on casual diastolic blood pressure using a large sample.