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Life Satisfaction and Positive Adjustment as Predictors of Emotional Distress in Men With Coronary Heart Disease

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Abstract

This two-wave longitudinal study examines the ability of life satisfaction and adjustment strategies to predict anxious and depressive symptoms in coronary heart disease male patients. Studies have shown that most heart attack survivors report these symptoms, which may worsen the prognosis of the disease. At Time 1, immediately after the first cardiac episode, eighty-eight men reported their life satisfaction levels, adjustment strategies used, and anxious and depressive symptoms experienced. At Time 2, six months later, sixty-three of those patients reported only their anxious and depressive symptoms again. The results showed that, after controlling for demographic variables, anxious and depressive symptoms at Time 1 were predicted by positive adjustment and life satisfaction. At Time 2, after controlling for both demographic variables and Time 1-emotional symptoms, none of the psychological variables predicted anxious symptoms, while depressive symptoms were only predicted by life satisfaction. It is concluded that an adequate level of life satisfaction may help to decrease emotional distress, both short and long term, while the use of positive adjustment strategies is especially important immediately after diagnosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal, 10–Ciudad Universitaria, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Pilar Sanjuán, Ángeles Ruiz & Ana Pérez

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  1. Pilar Sanjuán
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  2. Ángeles Ruiz
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  3. Ana Pérez
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Correspondence to Pilar Sanjuán.

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Sanjuán, P., Ruiz, Á. & Pérez, A. Life Satisfaction and Positive Adjustment as Predictors of Emotional Distress in Men With Coronary Heart Disease. J Happiness Stud 12, 1035–1047 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-010-9243-5

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