The interpersonal impact of partner emotion regulation on chronic cardiac patients’ functioning through affect

In this prospective study, we examined whether physical and psychological functioning of patients with a cardiovascular disease is related to their partners’ emotion regulation strategies through both persons’ affect. The final sample consisted of 104 patients (25 women) and their partners. All couples were of the opposite sex and married. Two spouse emotion regulation strategies (i.e., cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) were assessed at baseline; patient and spouse positive and negative affect was assessed 2 months later; patient functioning were assessed 4 months later. Spouse cognitive reappraisal, but not expressive suppression, was associated with patient functioning in an indirect way, with spouse and patient affect serving as mediators in-sequence. Specifically, spouse cognitive reappraisal was related to spouse affect which was associated with patient affect. In turn, patient affect was related to patient functioning. This adds to our understanding of the dyadic relationships between chronic patients’ and partners’ self-regulation processes and may also guide relevant psychological interventions.