Essential hypertension and self-disclosure

Abstract

A matched sample of 16 hypertensive and 16 non-hypertensive Air Force male Ss were administered the Journal Self-Disclosure questionnaire and participated in an interview that discussed high and low intimate topics. Questionnaire data, content analysis scores of interview topics, and situational stress measures supported the hypothesis that hypertensives conceal their personal thoughts and feelings from others and deny the emotion-arousing stimuli of a self-disclosure situation. Investigation of the underlying psychodynamics of hypertension in a self-disclosing situation as a potentially fruitful line of research was discussed.