The Psychosocial Impact of a Diagnosis of Hypertension in Pediatric Patients

The pressure's on: understanding neurocognitive and psychological associations with pediatric hypertension to inform comprehensive care

The prevalence of hypertension is increasing in pediatric populations. While clinical data and practice guidelines identify the impact of hypertension on organ dysfunction and emphasize the importance for end-organ damage screening, the bidirectional effects of pediatric hypertension on neurocognitive and psychological outcomes are understudied. The objective of this review is to highlight the association between hypertension and cognition, attention, learning, and mental health in children and adolescents. In doing so, this review provides a framework and toolkit to integrate neuropsychology and psychology into the screening and management stages of pediatric hypertension. By recognizing the effects of hypertension on cognition, behavior, and mental health, screenings and interventions can be implemented to proactively and comprehensively improve the health outcomes for children with blood pressure concerns.