Abstract
Background:Engaging in health behaviours throughout the preoperative period enhances recovery following cardiac surgery, but many patients do not participate in such behaviours. Difficult emotions about cardiac surgery and physical limitations can make health behaviours difficult to manage for cardiac surgery patients. Self-compassion (SC) can provide patients a way to cope with these emotions and participate in health behaviours during the preoperative period.
Objectives:This study will determine whether SC is associated with physical activity (PA), health behaviours, and negative emotions in the preoperative period.
Methods:A cross-sectional design was employed using questionnaires to measure relevant outcomes.
Results:122 participants completed the survey (M age=66.5, SD=9.33; 53% Men). Spearman’s correlations showed that SC was not significantly related to moderate-to-vigorous PA (p>.05), but was significantly correlated with mild PA (Spearman’s r= .228, p=.019). Pearson’s correlations showed that SC was positively associated with self-regulatory efficacy for health behaviours (r=.188, p=.025), and general engagement and health behaviours (r=.336, p<.001). SC was negatively correlated with trait anxiety (r= -.762, p< .001), general negative affect (r= -.491, p< .001), psychological intrusion (r= -.488, p<.001), brooding (r= -.386, p< .001), anxiety (r= -.740, p<.001) about the upcoming surgery, and depression (r= -.499, p<.001). SC was not significantly related to stress.
Conclusion:SC was related to greater engagement in health behaviours and reduced maladaptive psychological outcomes among cardiac surgery patients in the preoperative period. Future research should prospectively examine whether SC could be a useful coping resource in the perioperative period.
