Strong crude associations were found between hypertension diagnosis and age, sex, marriage, education, employment status, smoking (current and lifetime), chronic physical conditions, and traumatic life events (p-values all <0.001).
The models included adjustment for demographics, an aggregate measure of SES, lifetime smoking and alcohol use, substance use disorders and traumatic life events.
Our evidence for an association between hypertension and anxiety disorders after adjusting for demographics, SES, lifetime smoking and alcohol behaviour, substance use disorders and traumatic life events is similar to the majority of studies in the literature [8], [12].
The prevalence and proportions of the demographic and socioeconomic variables, as well as other variables (alcohol use, smoking, chronic physical conditions and traumatic life events), were examined among the total sample, and stratified by hypertension, anxiety disorders (lifetime and 12-month), depressive disorders (lifetime and 12-month), and comorbid anxiety-depression (lifetime and 12-month).
Postpartum depression has been associated with lifetime physical and sexual abuse [ 32], recent intimate partner violence [ 33], and traumatic life events [ 34], although the literature remains inconclusive [ 35].
The Somalis had experienced more lifetime traumatic events than the Rwandese, more traumatic events within the past year and therefore scored higher on the PDS.
The present study sought to assess the relationship between depressive symptomatology and resilience among women infected with HIV and to investigate whether trauma exposure (childhood trauma, other discrete lifetime traumatic events) or the presence of post-traumatic stress symptomatology mediated this relationship.
In addition, we examined a range of lifetime traumatic events with a reliable and validated instrument.
Dutch Trial registration: NTR2235 Approximately 80% of the Dutch population experiences at least one traumatic event during lifetime [ 1].
