title: Changes in well-being after myocardial infarction: Does coping matter?
abstract: This study explores changes in emotional component of subjective well-being (SWB) of patients after their first myocardial infarction (MI) and two kinds of mechanisms: attribution of positive (PA) and negative (NA) affect and a mediation effect of coping.
  
  
  
  Affect and coping strategies (problem-, emotion-, and avoidance-focused) were assessed in 121 male patients (age 52.26 ± 7.08 years) a few days after the first MI and then 1 and 6 months later. The indicator of emotional SWB was affect balance, calculated as the ratio of PA to NA. Mediation was tested using the PROCESS macro.
  
  
  
  The affect balance changed over time, from a predominance of negativity a few days post-MI to more positive 1 and 6 months later (F 2, 119 = 21.87, p < 0.001). The results of parallel multiple mediation showed a mediating effect of emotion-focused coping on the changes in affect balance over time. Separate analyses for PA and NA showed the same results for NA. Problem-focused coping mediated PA changes in the early post-hospitalization period.
  
  
  
  Myocardial infarction may activate PA alongside the NA, but the predominance of PA over NA in both early and late post-hospitalization period was minimal. Affect balance appeared to be largely dependent on NA and its changes. Coping strategies partly mediated the changes in well-being, providing a basis for practical interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Chodakowska Street 19/31, 03-815, Warsaw, Poland. akroemeke@swps.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kroemeke
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000523:psychology*; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile
keywords: Affect; Coping strategies; Longitudinal studies; Male; Mediation analysis