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Posttraumatic Growth, Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Mental Health Among Coronary Heart Disease Survivors

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Abstract

The present study aimed to estimate posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among heart disease survivors and examine whether PTG moderates the association between PTSS and mental health. Data from 82 myocardial infarction and acute coronary artery bypass graft survivors (aged 46–82) was obtained at admission to a cardiac rehabilitation unit. Mental status was assessed by the PTSD Inventory, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Mental Health Inventory and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL). 17.1 % of the participants suffered significantly from PTSS and most of the study sample (71.2 %) reported PTG. PTSS were positively associated with PTG and psychological distress and negatively with well-being and HRQOL. PTG moderated the association between PTSS and most mental health outcomes. We conclude that posttraumatic growth may attenuate the negative effect of posttraumatic stress symptoms on mental health.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Ms Varda Tal-Regev and Ms Rivka David of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv for their invaluable cooperation and support in recruiting participants for the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychiatric Division, Department of Psychiatry, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizman Street, 64239, Tel-Aviv, Israel

    Irit Bluvstein, Liat Moravchick, Shaul Schreiber & Miki Bloch

  2. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Nursing School, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel

    Irit Bluvstein

  3. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel

    Shaul Schreiber & Miki Bloch

  4. Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizman Street, 64239, Tel-Aviv, Israel

    David Sheps

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  1. Irit Bluvstein
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  2. Liat Moravchick
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  3. David Sheps
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  4. Shaul Schreiber
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  5. Miki Bloch
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Correspondence to Irit Bluvstein.

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Bluvstein, I., Moravchick, L., Sheps, D. et al. Posttraumatic Growth, Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Mental Health Among Coronary Heart Disease Survivors. J Clin Psychol Med Settings 20, 164–172 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-012-9318-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-012-9318-z

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