Psychological Features of the Level of Emotional Intelligence in Patients with Arterial Hypertension

Abstract

Arterial hypertension is one of the most widespread chronic non-communicable diseases and a leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Alongside biological determinants, a growing body of research points to the role of emotional processes in the onset, course and control of elevated blood pressure. The purpose of this article is to analyse and systematise the scientific evidence on the psychological features of emotional intelligence in patients with arterial hypertension and to outline directions for psychological diagnostics and support of such patients. The study is designed as a narrative review structured according to the IMRAD format; international databases (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar) and national scientific sources published between 1990 and 2025 were analysed using thematic synthesis. The results show that emotional intelligence is consistently associated with better mental, psychosomatic and physical health; that patients with essential hypertension are more likely to show features of alexithymia, i.e. difficulties in identifying and describing feelings; and that anxiety, depression, suppressed anger and chronic stress are prospectively linked with the development of hypertension. On this basis, a psychological profile of hypertensive patients is described in terms of four branches of emotional intelligence: perception, use, understanding and regulation of emotions. Possible psychophysiological and behavioural mechanisms, including sympathetic activation, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation, health behaviour and treatment adherence, are discussed. A set of validated assessment instruments and a design for an empirical study among patients in Uzbekistan are proposed. It is concluded that assessment and development of emotional intelligence should become a component of the comprehensive management of arterial hypertension.