Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the role of stress, anxiety and depression symptomatology in the development of hypertension in Qatari population. Design: This is a retrospective matched case-control study. Setting: The survey was carried out at the Primary Health Care Centers (PHCs). Methods: The survey was conducted from January 2003 to July 2004 among Qatari nationals 25 to 65 years of age. During the study period, a total of 800 subjects, 400 cases and 400 controls, were approached. Of whom, 318 cases and 316 controls responded to the questionnaire, for a response rate of 79.3%. Hypertension was defined according to WHO criteria as systolic blood pressure (SBP) > 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) > 90 mmHg. This study includes a questionnaire based on face-to-face interview on stress, anxiety and depression symptoms. Results: Of the total number of patients surveyed, 42.1% were males and 57.9% females. The mean ± SD age (in years) for males versus females was (45.7±14.6 and 41.3±13.1, respectively). The present study showed that age, obesity (BMI >30), diabetes, smoking habits, stress, anxiey and depression can be considered as risk factors for hypertension as discovered using multivariate analysis. Furthermore, the study suggests there is a positive correlation between hypertension and psychiatric disorders, anxiety, depression and stress. Conclusion: The present study suggests that anxiety, depression and stress are related to hypertension.