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Cardiovascular disease and meaning in life: A systematic literature review and conceptual model
1Metanoia Institute, Ealing, London, UK.
Insights
Finding meaning in life is crucial for cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients. A lack of meaning increases stress and CVD risk, while finding meaning improves health outcomes and coping. This study explores the link between meaning and CVD.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cardiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Psychological stress and mental health issues are known risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- Existing psychological treatments for CVD patients yield only modest benefits, indicating a need for new conceptual models.
- Understanding the aetiology of stress and mental health in CVD patients requires novel approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the literature on the relationship between meaning in life and cardiovascular disease.
- To develop a conceptual model illustrating the role of meaning in life concerning psychological stress, mental health, and CVD risks.
- To explore how meaning-centered concerns impact CVD patients' motivation, well-being, and health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature review following PRISMA/MOOSE guidelines was conducted.
- The review focused on studies examining the connection between meaning in life and cardiovascular disease.
- Findings from the literature review informed the development of a conceptual model.
Main Results:
- 113 studies were included, highlighting meaning as a predictor of cardiovascular health and risks.
- Meaning-centered concerns in CVD patients correlate with lower motivation for lifestyle changes, increased stress, and reduced quality of life.
- The ability to live a meaningful life post-CVD is associated with reduced stress, improved mental health, and better biomarkers.
Conclusions:
- A conceptual framework was developed to explain the relationship between meaning and CVD.
- Meaning-centered psychological therapies may offer significant benefits for cardiovascular disease patients.
- Addressing patients' need for a meaningful life is clinically relevant for improving CVD outcomes.
Objectives:
Previous studies have shown that psychological stress and mental health problems increase the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, such as heart attack or stroke. Furthermore, after CVD events, the majority of patients report large stress. However, psychological treatments have only modest effects in CVD patients. Therefore, it has been argued that new conceptual models are needed to understand the aetiology of stress and mental health problems in CVD patients. Therefore, this study included a systematic literature review and a conceptual model on the role of meaning in life for psychological stress, mental health, and CVD risks.
Methods:
A systematic literature review was conducted on relationships between CVD and meaning in life. PRISMA/MOOSE review guidelines were followed. These findings were used to build a conceptual model.
Results:
The literature review included 113 studies on meaning and CVD. The included studies described meaning as a predictor of cardiovascular risks and health, meaning-centered needs of patients in conversations with medical staff, meaning-centered changes after CVD events, meaning-centered coping with CVD, meaning as motivator of CVD-related lifestyle changes, and meaning as an element in psychological treatments of CVD patients. In sum, the literature showed that a central clinical concern for patients is their question how to live a meaningful life despite CVD. Meaning-centered concerns seem to lead to lower motivation to make lifestyle changes, more psychological stress, lower quality-of-life, worse physical well-being, and increased CVD risk. The ability to live a meaningful life after CVD events is related with lower stress, better mental health, and several biomarkers.
Significance Of Results:
An evidence-based conceptual framework was developed for the relationship between meaning and CVD. It may be hypothesized CVD patients may benefit from psychological therapies focused on meaning.
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