RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Investigating genetic causal relationships between blood pressure and anxiety, depressive symptoms, neuroticism and subjective well-being JF General Psychiatry JO Gen Psych FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd SP e100877 DO 10.1136/gpsych-2022-100877 VO 35 IS 5 A1 Lei Cai A1 Yonglin Liu A1 Lin He YR 2022 UL http://gpsych.bmj.com/content/35/5/e100877.abstract AB Background High blood pressure is a leading cardiovascular disease risk factor and considered to be associated with psychological factors. However, the causal relationships between blood pressure and anxiety, depressive symptoms, neuroticism and subjective well-being are not clear.Aims The current study explored the genetic causal relationships between blood pressure and anxiety, depressive symptoms, neuroticism and subjective well-being.Methods Mendelian randomisation (MR) analyses were performed using the generalised summary-data-based MR analysis method with eight large-scale genome-wide association study datasets for hypertension, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure, anxiety, depressive symptoms, neuroticism and subjective well-being.Results A causal effect of DBP on neuroticism was found, and 1074 independent instrumental single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified by the incorporated Heterogeneity in Dependent Instruments-outlier test among the bidirectional causal relationship between blood pressure and the four psychological states.Conclusions DBP has a causal effect on neuroticism. Appropriate management of blood pressure may reduce neuroticism, neuroticism-inducing mood disorders and cardiovascular diseases.Data are available upon reasonable request.