Positive Shifts in the Perceived Meaning of Cardiac Pain Following a Psychoeducation Program for Chronic Stable Angina

Authors

  • Michael McGillion
  • Judy Watt-Watson
  • Sandra LeFort
  • Bonnie Stevens

Abstract

This study examined the meaning of cardiac pain for chronic stable angina (CSA) patients who participated in a standardized angina psychoeducation program. The patients documented what angina meant to them at sessions 1 and 6 of a 6-week standardized psychoeducation program aimed at enhancing CSA self-management. At session 1, angina was described as a major negative life change characterized by fear, frustration, limitations, and anger. At session 6, angina signified a broad and ongoing pain problem requiring continual self-management in order to maximize quality of life. The findings suggest that the perceived meaning of angina as a burdensome and debilitating life change shifts, during psychoeducation, to one of angina as a broad pain problem requiring ongoing self-management in order to preserve life goals and functioning. How such perceptual shifts in the meaning of cardiac pain might contribute to the overall effectiveness of psychoeducation warrants further investigation.

Downloads

Published

2007-06-15

Issue

Section

Articles