Impact of Anxiety Sensitivity on Psychological Distress in Hypertensive Patients: Moderating Role of Social Support

Background: Hypertensive patients often experience psychological distress, which may be worsened by anxiety sensitivity. Social support may mitigate this effect.Objective: To evaluate the impact of anxiety sensitivity on psychological distress in hypertensive patients, with social support as a moderating factor.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 hypertensive patients recruited from hospitals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Validated scales were used to measure anxiety sensitivity, psychological distress, and social support. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25, employing Pearson’s correlation and moderation analysis via the PROCESS macro. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic variables.Results: Anxiety sensitivity was positively correlated with psychological distress (r = 0.87, p < 0.05), and negatively correlated with social support (r = -0.53, p < 0.05). Social support moderated the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and psychological distress (β = -0.232, p = 0.039), explaining 78.3% of the variance in distress levels (R² = 0.783).Conclusion: Anxiety sensitivity significantly exacerbates psychological distress in hypertensive patients. Social support plays a crucial role in reducing this impact, suggesting that enhancing social support in therapeutic interventions may improve mental health outcomes.