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Changes in Illness Perceptions and Quality of Life During Participation in Cardiac Rehabilitation

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Abstract

Background

The beliefs patients hold about their disease and corresponding treatment have been shown to predict recovery in cardiac patients.

Purpose

However, it is not known to what extent these beliefs change during participation in cardiac rehabilitation and whether this is related to psychological indicators of outcome.

Method

Illness perceptions and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were measured upon entry to (T0) and completion of (T1) a 3-month outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program in 158 cardiac patients.

Results

Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed that all illness perceptions other than timeline and personal control changed significantly over the course of cardiac rehabilitation. Overall, cardiac rehabilitation patients came to view their illness as more benign. Further analysis revealed that perceiving fewer emotional consequences of the illness, gaining a better understanding, and attributing fewer symptoms to the illness at the end of cardiac rehabilitation, was related to better HRQOL.

Conclusion

Illness perceptions change during cardiac rehabilitation and these changes are associated with enhanced quality of life. Clinical trials have shown illness beliefs in cardiac patients to be modifiable during hospital admission; our results suggest that cardiac rehabilitation may provide a second window of opportunity during which illness perceptions can be actively monitored and modified if maladaptive.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Veronica Janssen, Véronique De Gucht & Stan Maes

  2. Rijnlands Rehabilitation Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Henk van Exel

  3. Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Stan Maes

  4. Department of Health Psychology, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300 RB, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Veronica Janssen

Authors
  1. Veronica Janssen
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  2. Véronique De Gucht
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  3. Henk van Exel
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  4. Stan Maes
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Correspondence to Veronica Janssen.

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Janssen, V., De Gucht, V., van Exel, H. et al. Changes in Illness Perceptions and Quality of Life During Participation in Cardiac Rehabilitation. Int.J. Behav. Med. 20, 582–589 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-012-9260-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-012-9260-3

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