Psychosocial factors, including positive affect, finding meaning in the event, and managing emotional distress, influence prognosis following a heart attack or myocardial infarction (MI). Gratitude, typically defined as a feeling or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive, is associated with higher levels of well-being, and people who are more grateful experience less stress, are less depressed, have higher levels of control over their environment, and more positive ways of coping. The present project will examine the potential benefits of a gratitude intervention (i.e., 8 weeks of gratitude journaling) to increase positive health behaviors, psychological health, and physical functioning in post-MI patients as compared to journaling about memorable events as well as care as usual alone. The investigators will study psychological and physical functioning at baseline, following 8 weeks of gratitude journaling or care as usual, and at 4-month follow-up.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
108
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, California, United States
Feasibility assessed by Recruitment rates will be recorded and new recruitment strategies will be formulated to overcome barriers presented by decliners for a future study.
Time frame: 2 years
Treatment Expectancy & Satisfaction assessed by Treatment expectancy and satisfaction - 6 item credibility/ expectancy questionnaire (CEQ) will be utilized
Time frame: 2 years
Retention assessed by Retention (% of drop-outs) will be recorded, and exit interviews will be administered to determine reasons for drop-out.
Time frame: 2 years
Adherence assessed by Adherence to intervention will be derived from gratitude journals.
Time frame: 2 years
Gratitude
There are three scales that have been developed to measure gratitude, the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6) (McCullough et al., 2002), Appreciation Scale (Adler \& Fagley, 2005), and Gratitude, Appreciation, and Resentment Test (GRAT). Each scale came from a different concept of gratitude, and in concert they provide a broad definition of gratitude. According to Wood, Maltby, Stewart and Joseph (2008) the three scales comprise 12 sub-scales which measure eight different components of gratitude: (1) grateful affect, (2) appreciation of other people, (3) a focus on what the person has, (4) feelings of awe when encountering beauty, (4) behaviors to express gratitude, (5) focusing on the positive in the present moment, (6) appreciation rising from understanding life is short, (7) a focus on the positive in the present moment, and (8) positive social comparisons.
Time frame: 2 years
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