Abstract

CEREZO RESENDIZ, SANDRA; HERNANDEZ POZO, MARÍA DEL ROCÍO; RODRIGUEZ ORTEGA, GRACIELA  and  RIVAS LIRA, RAÚL ALBERTO. EFFECTS OF A STRESS MANAGEMENT INTERVENTION IN WOMEN WITH SYSTEMIC ARTERIALHYPERTENSION. Act.Colom.Psicol. [online]. 2009, vol.12, n.1, pp.85-93. ISSN 0123-9155.

Currently, cardiovascular diseases have a high prevalence worldwise, so it is necessary to develop non pharmacological treatments to improve the prognosis of people who suffer from this disorder. The aim of this research was to identify the effect of an intervention program on stress management to control arterial hypertension in women. The design used was quasi-experimental cross-sectional (pre-post intervention). Participants were 14 women between 35 and 55 years old, diagnosed with hypertension type 1 and attached to a third level hospital. A special list of recent potentially stressful events, a distress scale, and a computerized discrimination test (Stroop-cardiovascular) were the instruments utilized. The intervention consisted of 4 sessions of different types of relaxation and rational emotive therapy (cognitive restructuring). Results did not indicate significant differences in the group between pre and post-test blood pressure measurements. Nevertheless, three patients reduced their blood pressure by the end of treatment. Additionally, favorable changes in positive events, negative events and distress were registered. The study concluded that stress management is a non- pharmacological alternative contributory to the control of arterial hypertension and recommended for larger populations.

Keywords : Arterial hypertension; stress; Stroop's emotional paradigm.

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