Attentional reactions to an MI: The impact of mood state, worry, and coping style

Author(s): Mathews, A., Brantley, P. J., James, T.

Journal/Book: J Psychosom Res. 1999; 46: the Boulevard Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford Ox5 1GB, England. Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd. 415-423.

Abstract: This study investigated the possible development of an attentional bias to cardiac-related words in subjects who recently experienced a myocardial infarction (MI). It was hypothesized that cardiae-related stimuli would have attention-capturing characteristics for post-MI subjects, and this bias would be moderated by level of anxiety, degree of cardiac-related worry, and the subject's coping style. Post-MI subjects (n=33) and matched controls (n=31) participated in an attentional search task. The post-MI subjects failed to show the predicted group increases in attention allocated to cardiac stimuli, but a difference between groups still occurred as the control group exhibited directed inattention to cardiac stimuli. Subsequent analysis indicated those post-MI subjects who did evince an attentional bias toward cardiac stimuli had higher monitoring scores on a self-report measure of coping style. Level of emotional distress and cardiac-related worry failed to predict attentional bias for the post-MI subjects.

Note: Article Constans JI, Vet Affairs Med Ctr, Psychol Serv, 116B, 1601 Perdido St, New Orleans,LA 70112 USA

Keyword(s): myocardial infarction; coping style; attention; attentional bias; worry; MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION PATIENTS; ANXIETY; DEPRESSION; AVOIDANT; INFORMATION; STRATEGIES; RESPONSES; PATTERNS; STRESS; SCALE

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