Coping strategies, life style changes, and pessimism after open-heart surgery

Hasida Ben-Zur*, Batya Rappaport, Ronny Ammar, Gideon Uretzky

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

70 Scopus citations

Abstract

A mail questionnaire was completed by 171 patients two to 20 months after undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). The post-CABG period was characterized by fewer working hours, a higher level of physical exercise, a reduction in smoking, and more appropriate nutritional habits, compared with the preoperation period. At the same time, the anxiety level of post-CABG patients was higher than that measured in a community sample. Post-CABG high psychological distress (anxiety and mood states) and low functional capacity were associated with high levels of pessimism and ineffective emotion-focused coping strategies.. These results may be used by social workers in devising psychological interventions aimed at improving post-CABG patients' quality of life and bolstering their coping strategies.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)201-209
Number of pages9
JournalHealth and Social Work
Volume25
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2000
Externally publishedYes

Funding

FundersFunder number
University of Haifa

    Keywords

    • Coping strategies
    • Distress
    • Open-heart surgery
    • Pessimism
    • Rehabilitation

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