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Uncertainty, coping, and distress following myocardial infarction: Transition from hospital to home
Author(s) -
Christman Norma J.,
McConnell Edwina A.,
Pfeiffer Colleen,
Webster Kay K.,
Schmitt Marianne,
Ries Joanne
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
research in nursing and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1098-240X
pISSN - 0160-6891
DOI - 10.1002/nur.4770110203
Subject(s) - coping (psychology) , distress , emotional distress , clinical psychology , myocardial infarction , psychology , exploratory research , emotive , medicine , anxiety , psychiatry , philosophy , epistemology , sociology , anthropology
The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of uncertainty in illness and use of coping methods on emotional distress and recovery following myocardial infarction. A longitudinal exploratory design with measures obtained at three times was used; multiple regression was used to analyze the data. Uncertainty explained a significant amount of the variance in emotional distress prior to hospital discharge (21%), and 1 (16%) and 4 (26%) weeks after discharge. Patients reporting greater uncertainty also reported more emotional distress. One week after discharge, coping behaviors significantly added to the variance explained in distress (27%). Greater use of emotive coping behaviors was associated with higher levels of emotional distress and accounted for the majority of the variance explained by coping behaviors (23%). The findings are discussed in terms of the nature of uncertainty in health care and future model development.