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Hypertension, depression, and health-related quality of life among hospitalized patients in Afghanistan

Journal of Human Hypertension (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

In recent decades, hypertension has become the foremost risk factor for disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). The present study investigated the relationship between quality of life, depression, and hypertension among hospitalized patients in Afghanistan. A cross-sectional survey was administered from September 3, 2022, to February 2, 2023, in the Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif provinces of Afghanistan (N = 2059). The prevalence of depression symptoms was 65.8%, and hypertension was 20.9%. Multiple regression analysis indicated that moderate physical functioning, poor role-physical, higher bodily pain, poor general health, poor social functioning, lower role-emotional, and poor mental health significantly predicted depression. Multiple regression analysis indicated that moderate quality of life, poor physical functioning, higher bodily pain, lower energy/fatigue, and depression significantly predicted hypertension. The findings of the present study offer valuable insights for healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers in developing targeted interventions and policies to enhance the well-being of individuals facing the challenges of depression and hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension and depression was high among patients in the Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif provinces of Afghanistan. Patients with hypertension had poor mental and physical quality of life. Hospitals should therefore implement regular screening for depression and offer psychological counseling for vulnerable patients with hypertension.

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Data availability

The dataset used in the present study is available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the dedicated teams at Herat Regional Hospital and Balkh Regional Hospital.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Afghanistan Center for Epidemiological Studies, Herat, Afghanistan

    Ahmad Neyazi & Mehrab Neyazi

  2. Department of Mental Health, Herat Regional Hospital, Herat, Afghanistan

    Abdul Qadim Mohammadi

  3. Matrisishu Miteri Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal

    Shashank Timilsina

  4. Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India

    Bijaya Kumar Padhi

  5. Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK

    Mark D. Griffiths

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Contributions

AN designed the study. AN, AQM, and MN contributed in data collection of this study. AN analyzed the data. AQM, MN, ST, and BKP prepared the draft of the manuscript. AN, and MDG critically reviewed, rewrote, edited, and finalized the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ahmad Neyazi.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical approval and consent to participate

The present study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Afghanistan Center for Epidemiological Studies (ref: #22.1.015). In the initial engagement with participants, a comprehensive account of the study’s objectives was provided. Written informed consent was provided by all participants involved in the study apart from those who were illiterate, who provided verbal informed consent. Participants were told of their prerogative to withdraw their participation at any time without repercussion. All methods adhered to pertinent ethical principles of the Helsinki Declaration.

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Neyazi, A., Mohammadi, A.Q., Neyazi, M. et al. Hypertension, depression, and health-related quality of life among hospitalized patients in Afghanistan. J Hum Hypertens (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-024-00914-5

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