INFORMATION

Psicothema was founded in Asturias (northern Spain) in 1989, and is published jointly by the Psychology Faculty of the University of Oviedo and the Psychological Association of the Principality of Asturias (Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos del Principado de Asturias).
We currently publish four issues per year, which accounts for some 100 articles annually. We admit work from both the basic and applied research fields, and from all areas of Psychology, all manuscripts being anonymously reviewed prior to publication.

PSICOTHEMA
  • Director: Laura E. Gómez Sánchez
  • Frequency:
         February | May | August | November
  • ISSN: 0214-9915
  • Digital Edition:: 1886-144X
CONTACT US
  • Address: Ildelfonso Sánchez del Río, 4, 1º B
    33001 Oviedo (Spain)
  • Phone: 985 285 778
  • Fax: 985 281 374
  • Email:psicothema@cop.es

Positivity and Self-Efficacy Beliefs Explaining Health-Related Quality of Life in Cardiovascular Patients

Carmen Tabernero1,2, Gian Vittorio Caprara3, Tamara Gutiérrez-Domingo4,5, Esther Cuadrado4,5, Rosario Castillo-Mayén4,5, Alicia Arenas6, Sebastián Rubio4,5, and Bárbara Luque4,5

1 University of Salamanca,
2 Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León (INCYL),
3 Sapienza University of Rome,
4 Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC),
5 University of Córdoba, and
6 University of Sevilla

Background: Psychological well-being and health-specific self-regulation have been associated with cardiovascular health. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal relationship of positivity and health-specific self-regulatory variables to health-related quality of life in patients with cardiovascular disease. Methods: A sample of 550 cardiac patients completed a number of instruments (positivity, regulatory emotional self-efficacy, and cardiac self-efficacy scales, and the general health questionnaire SF-12) on two occasions 9 months apart, assessing their level of positivity, health-specific self-efficacy beliefs, and health-related quality of life. Results: Mediational analyses demonstrated that health-specific self-efficacy beliefs mediate the relationship between positivity and health-related quality of life. In terms of self-efficacy in managing negative affect, the despondency-distress factor showed both direct and indirect effects on health, while the anger factor showed only an indirect effect. The results of the structural equation model demonstrated suitable indices of fit. Conclusions: Positivity may act as a disposition helps patients to use motivational strategies related to health, be more confident in their ability to regulate their emotions, and follow the recommendations of their cardiac medical team, enabling them to perceive a higher quality of life. These findings indicate the need to promote psychosocial interventions that include these variables.

Calidad de Vida relacionada con la Salud de Personas con Enfermedad Cardiovascular: Positividad y Creencias de Autoeficacia. Antecedentes: el bienestar psicológico y la autorregulación se asocian con la salud cardiovascular. Este estudio tiene como objetivo examinar longitudinalmente la relación entre la positividad y variables autorreguladoras específicas de la salud con la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud en pacientes cardiovasculares. Método: quinientos cincuenta pacientes cardíacos respondieron dos veces a las escalas de positividad, autoeficacia para la regulación emocional, autoeficacia cardíaca y salud general SF-12 con un intervalo de nueve meses, evaluando respectivamente su nivel de positividad, creencias de autoeficacia específicas de la salud y calidad de vida relacionada con la salud. Resultados: los análisis mediacionales demostraron que las creencias de autoeficacia median la relación entre la positividad y la calidad de vida. La autoeficacia para el manejo del afecto negativo, concretamente el factor desaliento-angustia, mostró un efecto directo e indirecto sobre la salud. Los resultados del modelo de ecuaciones estructurales mostraron índices de ajuste adecuados para el modelo longitudinal propuesto. Conclusiones: la positividad puede actuar como un factor disposicional que facilita desarrollar estrategias motivacionales relacionadas con la salud, tener mayor confianza en la capacidad para regular las emociones y seguir las recomendaciones del equipo médico-cardíaco, permitiendo así a los pacientes percibir una mayor calidad de vida.

PDF

Impact factor 2022:  JCR WOS 2022:  FI = 3.6 (Q2);  JCI = 1.21 (Q1) / SCOPUS 2022:  SJR = 1.097;  CiteScore = 6.4 (Q1)