Difficulties on Emotion Regulation Predict Mental Health of Coronary Heart Disease Patients in Cardiac Rehabilitation but Heart Rate Variability does Not

Abstract

Purpose: Depression and anxiety have been extensively associated with adverse outcomes in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. However, psychological and physiological processes underlying the persistence of these troubles in CHD patients attending cardiac rehabilitation are poorly investigated. Emotion regulation difficulties and heart rate variability (HRV) could be some of these processes. Thus the aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of emotion regulation difficulties and HRV on depression and anxiety symptoms persistence in CHD patients.