Cardiac Emotions Study

Collaborators

Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia; University Hospital Geelong, Geelong, Australia; Monash Health, Melbourne Australia; Stanford Women's Heart Health Clinic, Stanford, California, USA; Federation University Australia, Berwick, Australia; University of Suffolk, Ipswich, England UK; Queen’s University Belfast, UK.

Part 1: A comprehensive investigation of the stresses and concerns experienced by cardiac patients after a cardiac event

Description

In this study we assessed a broad range of psychological, social and behavioural symptoms of cardiac emotions. We reported on the prevalence and severity of these symptoms in a sample of up to 350 cardiac event survivors, and investigated the relationship of these symptoms to commonly assessed constructs such as anxiety, depression and quality of life, as well as a set of emotional thermometers. We described the types of cardiac event survivors who are more prone to specific emotional experiences, in terms of characteristics such as age, sex, and event type. This study allowed us to better understand the prevalence and risk factors for various cardiac emotions. Understanding cardiac patients’ specific fears, worries and stressors has important implications for the identification and management of post-event mental health and, in turn, for supporting patients in their post-event cardiac recovery. Recruitment occurred during 2021, and the study was completed in mid-2022.

Publications

Murphy B, Le Grande M, Alvarenga ME, Worcester MU, Jackson AC. Anxiety and depression after a cardiac event: prevalence and predictors. Frontiers in Psychology 2020; DOI 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03010.

Part 2: The Cardiac Distress Study: Development of the Cardiac Distress Inventory (CDI) and the Short Form (SF) to identify and assess cardiac distress in clinical practice

Description

The Cardiac Distress Study is a component of the broader Cardiac Emotions Study. While much research attention has been paid to anxiety and depression in people who have had a recent cardiac event, relatively little has focussed on the broader concept of cardiac distress. Cardiac distress is a multidimensional construct that incorporates but extends beyond common mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. In the Cardiac Distress Study developed and validated the Cardiac Distress Inventory (CDI) and the Cardiac Distress Inventory Short-Form (CDI-SF), a comprehensive measure of distress after a cardiac event. Using the CDI, health professionals will be able to identify key clusters of psychological, emotional and social concern to address with patients, post-cardiac event. Thus, the CDI will assist health professionals, such as those working in cardiac rehabilitation and general practice settings, to identify areas of most concern for patients. This will enable practitioners to better target the emotional and mental health support they provide for patients. Psychometric testing of a long form CDI resulted in the development of a short form which is currently being used in outpatient clinics and cardiac rehabilitation settings to screen patients for referral to counselling. We recruited around 350 cardiac patients into this study, which was completed in mid-2022.

Publications

Jackson AC, Rogerson M, Le Grande MR, Thompson D, Ski C, Alvarenga ME, Amerena J, Higgins RO, Raciti M, Murphy BM. Protocol for the development and validation of a measure of persistent psychological and emotional distress in cardiac patients: The Cardiac Distress Inventory. BMJ Open 2020;0:e034946. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034946.

Le Grande MR, Murphy BM, Rogerson MC, Ski CF, Amerena J, Smith JA, Hoover V, Alvarenga ME, Higgins RO, Thompson DR, Jackson AC. Development of a short form of the Cardiac Distress Inventory, BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-023-03439-w

Jackson AC, Murphy BM, Thompson DR, Ski CF, Alvarenga ME, LeGrande MR, Amerena J, Higgins RO, Barton D. What is cardiac distress and how should we measure it? British Journal of Cardiac Nursing 2018; 13(6); 286-93.

Part 3: The Cardiac Distress Study: Translation and validation of the Cardiac Distress Inventory (CDI)

Description

Following development of the long-form and short-form of the CDI, further validation and translation studies are being undertaken. Translations will include Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Turkish, Hebrew, Arabic and Farsi, plus others to be determined. Validation studies will re-assess the factor structure of the CDI translations, and will assess test-retest reliability, construct validity, and sensitivity to change for all CDI versions.

Part 4: The Fear-CHD study: Fear of Recurrence and Progression in coronary heart disease

Description

A sub-study of the broader Cardiac Emotions Study, is the Fear of Recurrence and Progression Study in which we will specifically investigate the concepts of fear of recurrence of an acute cardiac event and fear of progression of coronary heart disease. The concept of fear of recurrence or progression is well developed in the field of oncology and other chronic illnesses, but little attention has been paid to these constructs in the field of cardiology. This study will focus on specific relevant items from the broader Cardiac Emotions Study, to provide preliminary investigation into this construct.

This study is now recruiting. Click here for more information.