Antihypertensive drugs and depression: a reappraisal

Abstract

Eighty-nine new referral hypertensive out-patients and 46 new referral non-hypertensive chronically physically ill out-patients completed a mood rating scale at regular intervals for one year. The results showed a high prevalence of depression in both groups of patients, with no preponderance in the hypertensive group. Hypertensive patients with psychiatric histories had a higher prevalence of depression than the comparison patients. This was accounted for by a significant number of depressions occurring in methyl dopa treated patients with psychiatric histories.