title: Development of a positive psychology intervention for patients with acute cardiovascular disease.
abstract: The management of depression and other negative psychological states in cardiac patients has been a focus of multiple treatment trials, though such trials have not led to substantial improvements in cardiac outcomes. In contrast, there has been minimal focus on interventions to increase positive psychological states in cardiac patients, despite the fact that optimism and other positive states have been associated with superior cardiovascular outcomes. Our objective was to develop an 8-week, phone-based positive psychology intervention for patients hospitalized with acute cardiac disease (acute coronary syndrome or decompensated heart failure). Such an intervention would consist of positive psychology exercises adapted for this specific population, and it would need to be feasible for practitioners and patients in real-world settings. By adapting exercises that were previously validated in healthy individuals, we were able to generate a positive psychology telemedicine intervention for cardiac patients that focused on optimism, kindness, and gratitude. In addition, we successfully created a companion treatment manual for subjects to enhance the educational aspects of the intervention and facilitate completion of exercises. Finally, we successfully performed a small pilot trial of this intervention, and found that the positive psychology intervention appeared to be feasible and well-accepted in a cohort of patients with acute cardiac illness. Future studies should further develop this promising intervention and examine its impact on psychological and medical outcomes in this vulnerable population of cardiac patients.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; ; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA;
authors.forename: Jeff C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Huffman
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Mastromauro
authors.forename: Julia K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Boehm
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seabrook
authors.forename: Gregory L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Fricchione
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Denninger
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lyubomirsky
keywords: acute coronary syndrome; cardiovascular disease; congestive heart failure; optimism; positive psychology