nach oben

International Journal of Behavioral Medicine

Erschienen in:

01.09.2009

Relationship Between Forgiveness and Psychological and Physiological Indices in Cardiac Patients

verfasst von: Jennifer P. Friedberg, Sonia Suchday, V. S. Srinivas

Erschienen in: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine | Ausgabe 3/2009

Einloggen, um Zugang zu erhalten

Abstract

Background

Research suggests that forgiveness is associated with better psychological and physical health and in particular cardiovascular functioning. Despite these findings, most forgiveness studies involve healthy participants.

Purpose

The current study assessed the psychological and physiological correlates of forgiveness in individuals with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Method

Self-reported forgiveness, perceived stress, anxiety, and depression, and physiological data, including triglycerides, total cholesterol, high- (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, were obtained from 85 hospitalized CAD patients.

Results

Higher levels of forgiveness were associated with lower levels of anxiety (p < 0.05), depression (p < 0.01), and perceived stress (p < 0.005) as well as lower total cholesterol to HDL and LDL to HDL ratios (both at p < 0.05) after controlling for age and gender. The psychological indices did not mediate the relationship between forgiveness and cholesterol ratios.

Conclusions

Results suggest that the psychological correlates of forgiveness are similar in cardiac patients and healthy individuals. Further, among cardiac patients, forgiveness may be associated with reduced risk for future cardiovascular events.

Worthington EL, Wade NG. The social psychology of unforgiveness and forgiveness and implications for clinical practice. J Soc Clin Psychol. 1999;18:385–418.

Brown RP, Phillips A. Letting bygones be bygones: further evidence for the validity of the Tendency to Forgive Scale. Pers Individ Differ. 2005;38:627–38.CrossRef

Seybold KS, Hill PC, Neumann JK, Chi DS. Physiological and psychological correlates of forgiveness. J Psychol Christ. 2001;20:250–9.

Thompson LY, Snyder CR, Hoffman L, Michael ST, Rasmussen HN, Billings LS, et al. Dispositional forgiveness of self, others, and situations. J Person. 2005;72:313–60.CrossRef

Friedberg JP, Suchday S, Shelov DV. The impact of forgiveness on cardiovascular reactivity and recovery. Int J Psychophysiol. 2007;65(2):87–94.PubMedCrossRef

Lawler-Row KA, Pifieri RL. The forgiving personality: describing a life well lived? Pers Individ Differ. 2006;41:1009–20.CrossRef

Maltby J, Macaskill A, Day L. Failure to forgive self and others: a replication and extension of the relationship between forgiveness, personality, social desirability, and general health. Pers Individ Differ. 2001;30:881–5.CrossRef

Witvliet CV, Phipps KA, Feldman KA, Beckham JC. Posttraumatic mental and physical health correlates of forgiveness and religious coping in military veterans. J Trauma Stress. 2004;17:269–73.PubMedCrossRef

Lawler KA, Younger JW, Piferi RL, Jobe RL, Edmondson KA, Jones WH. The unique effects of forgiveness on health: an exploration of pathways. J Behav Med. 2005;28:157–67.PubMedCrossRef

10.

Toussaint LL, Williams DR, Musick MA, Everson SA. Forgiveness and health: age differences in a US probability sample. J Adult Dev. 2001;8:249–57.CrossRef

11.

Lawler KA, Younger JW, Piferi RL, Billington E, Jobe R, Edmondson K, et al. A change of heart: cardiovascular correlates of forgiveness in response to interpersonal conflict. J Behav Med. 2003;26:373–93.PubMedCrossRef

12.

Moseley JV, Linden W. Predicting blood pressure and heart rate change with cardiovascular reactivity and recovery: results from 3-year and 10-year follow up. Psychosom Med. 2006;68:833–43.PubMedCrossRef

13.

Tomiyama M, Horio T, Yoshii M, Takiuchi S, Kamide K, Nakamura S, et al. Masked hypertension and target organ damage in treated hypertensive patients. Am J Hypertens. 2006;19(9):880–6.PubMedCrossRef

14.

Miller TQ, Smith TW, Turner CW, Guijarro ML, Hallet AJ. A meta-analytic review of research on hostility and physical health. Psychol Bull. 1996;119:322–48.PubMedCrossRef

15.

Pickering TG. Mental stress as a causal factor in the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Curr Hypertens Rep. 2001;3:249–54.PubMedCrossRef

16.

Kubzansky LD, Kawachi I, Sparrow D. Socioeconomic status, hostility, and risk factor clustering in the Normative Aging Study: any help from the concept of allostatic load? Annals Behav Med 1999;21:330–8.CrossRef

17.

McEwen BS. Stress, adaptation, and disease. Allostasis and allostatic load. Ann NY Acad Sci. 1998;840:33–44.PubMedCrossRef

18.

Thoresen CE, Harris AHS, Luskin F. Forgiveness and health: an unanswered question. In: McCullough ME, Pargament KI, Thoresen CE, editors. Forgiveness: theory, research, and practice. New York: Guilford; 2000. p. 254–80.

19.

Worthington EL, Scherer M. Forgiveness is an emotion-focused coping strategy that can reduce health risks and promote health resilience: Theory, review, and hypotheses. Psychol Health. 2004;19:385–405.CrossRef

20.

Folkman S, Lazarus RS, Dunkel-Schetter C, DeLongis A, Gruen RJ. Dynamics of a stressful encounter: cognitive appraisal, coping, and encounter outcomes. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1986;50:992–1003.PubMedCrossRef

21.

Tibbits D, Ellis G, Piramelli C, Luskin F, Lukman R. Hypertension reduction through forgiveness training. J Pastor Care Couns. 2006;60(1–2):27–34.

22.

Mauger PA, Perry JE, Freeman T, Grove DC, McBride AG, McKinney KE. The measurement of forgiveness: preliminary research. J Psychol Christ. 1992;11:170–80.

23.

Macaskill A, Maltby J, Day L. Forgiveness of self and others and emotional empathy. J Soc Psychol. 2002;142:663–5.PubMedCrossRef

24.

Zigmond AS, Snaith RP. The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1983;67(6):361–70.PubMedCrossRef

25.

Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R. A global measure of perceived stress. J Health Soc Behav. 1983;24:385–96.PubMedCrossRef

26.

Williams CM. Lipid metabolism in women. Proc Nutr Soc. 2004;63(1):153–60.PubMedCrossRef

27.

Baron RM, Kenny DA. The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. J Pers Soc Psychol 1986;51:1173–82.PubMedCrossRef

28.

Ingelsson E, Schaefer EJ, Contois JH, McNamara JR, Sullivan L, Keyes MJ, et al. Clinical utility of different lipid measures for prediction of coronary heart disease in men and women. J Am Med Assoc. 2007;298:776–85.CrossRef

29.

Lawler-Row KA, Karremans JC, Scott C, Edlis-Matityahou M, Edwards L. Forgiveness, physiological reactivity and health: the role of anger. Int J Psychophysiol. 2008;68:51–8.PubMed

30.

Harris AH, Luskin F, Norman SB, Standard S, Bruning J, Evans S, et al. Effects of a group forgiveness intervention on forgiveness, perceived stress, and trait-anger. J Clin Psychol. 2006;62:715–33.PubMedCrossRef

31.

Reed GL, Enright RD. The effects of forgiveness therapy on depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress for women after spousal emotional abuse. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2006;74:920–9.PubMedCrossRef

32.

Frasure-Smith N, Lesperance F, Talajic M. Depression following myocardial infarction. Impact on 6-month survival. J Am Med Assoc. 1993;270:1819–25.CrossRef

33.

Lesperance F, Frasure-Smith N, Juneau M, Theroux P. Depression and 1-year prognosis in unstable angina. Arch Intern Med. 2000;160:1354–60.PubMedCrossRef

34.

Strik JJ, Denollet J, Lousberg R, Honig A. Comparing symptoms of depression and anxiety as predictors of cardiac events and increased health care consumption after myocardial infarction. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2003;42:1801–7.PubMedCrossRef

Titel: Relationship Between Forgiveness and Psychological and Physiological Indices in Cardiac Patients
verfasst von: Jennifer P. Friedberg
Sonia Suchday
V. S. Srinivas
Publikationsdatum: 01.09.2009
Verlag: Springer US
Erschienen in: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine / Ausgabe 3/2009
Print ISSN: 1070-5503
Elektronische ISSN: 1532-7558
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-008-9016-2

Die Highlights vom Kongress des American College of Cardiology 2024

Springer Medizin

Relationship Between Forgiveness and Psychological and Physiological Indices in Cardiac Patients

Abstract

Background

Purpose

Method

Results

Conclusions

Die Highlights vom Kongress des American College of Cardiology 2024

Springer Medizin

Abstract

Background

Purpose

Method

Results

Conclusions

Bitte loggen Sie sich ein, um Zugang zu diesem Inhalt zu erhalten

Weitere Artikel der Ausgabe 3/2009

Psychological Aspects of Cardiovascular Disease

Long-Term Effects of a Multimodal Behavioral Intervention on Myocardial Perfusion—a Randomized Controlled Trial

Cognitively Oriented Behavioral Rehabilitation in Combination with Qigong for Patients on Long-Term Sick Leave Because of Burnout: REST—A Randomized Clinical Trial

Temporal and Environmental Patterns of Sedentary and Active Behaviors during Adolescents’ Leisure Time

‘Adaptive’ Psychosocial Factors in Relation to Home Blood Pressure: A Study in the General Population of Southern Netherlands

Dimensions of Social Support and Depression in Patients at Increased Psychosocial Risk Recovering from Myocardial Infarction