THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REPRESSIVE AND DEFENSIVE COPING STYLES AND BLOOD-PRESSURE RESPONSES IN HEALTHY, MIDDLE-AGED MEN AND WOMEN

The current study explored the relationship between repressive coping and blood pressure responses at rest and during a mental challenge. One hundred and twenty healthy, middle-aged men and women completed anxiety and defensiveness measures. Subjects scoring below the median on anxiety and above the median on defensiveness were categorized as repressors; those below the median on both measures as low-anxious; those above median on anxiety and below median on defensiveness as moderately anxious; and those above the median on both measures as defensive moderately-anxious. As predicted, repressors showed greater systolic blood pressure reactivity in response to a mental challenge relative to the other groups (p<0.01). Repressors also had greater resting systolic blood pressure levels than the other groups (p<0.001). The findings are discussed with respect to the potential influence of this response pattern on blood pressure and other CVD risk factors and behaviors. © 1990.