Post-Traumatic Growth After a Myocardial Infarction: A Matter of Personality, Psychological Health, or Cognitive Coping?

TLDR

The study aimed to examine how personality, psychological health, and cognitive coping contribute to post‑traumatic growth after myocardial infarction. A sample of 139 first‑time MI patients assessed 3–12 months post‑event was analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results indicated that cognitive coping strategies explained a significant portion of growth variance beyond personality and psychological health, highlighting them as modifiable intervention targets.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to focus on the relative contributions of personality, psychological health and cognitive coping to post-traumatic growth in patients with recent myocardial infarction (MI). The sample consisted of 139 patients who had experienced a first-time acute MI between 3 and 12 months before data assessment. Multivariate relationships were tested by means of Structural Equation Modeling. The results showed that besides the contribution of personality and psychological health, a significant amount of variance in growth was explained by the cognitive coping strategies people used to handle their MI. As cognitive coping strategies are generally assumed to be mechanisms that are subject to potential influence and change, this provides us with important targets for intervention.