The prospective relationship between dispositional mindfulness and health complaints in cardiac patients recovering...

Somatic complaints like fatigue, cardiopulmonary symptoms, and sleep problems are among the most tenacious health complaints contributing to burden in patients with coronary heart disease. The current study aimed to examine to what extent dispositional mindfulness and worry may predict short- and long-term symptom recovery.

1981 patients (78 % male, mean age 64.3 ± 10.4) were included when hospitalized for revascularization. Dispositional mindfulness (TFMQ-SF) and worry (PSWQ) were assessed at that time and at 1-month follow-up. Somatic complaints (HCS) were assessed four times across a 2-year follow-up. For the short-term and long-term analyses, hierarchical Generalized Linear Mixed Models were used. Models tested the main effect of mindfulness, added adjustment for covariates, tested worry as a potential mediator, and explored the roles of mindfulness facets.

Higher levels and improvement of mindfulness (first month) were independently associated with lower levels and improved recovery of all somatic complaints. Similarly, higher levels of mindfulness at 1 month were independently predictive of a more favorable course of all somatic complaints across the 2 years. Worry and change in worry (acute recovery) were partial mediators of the association between mindfulness and all somatic complaints. Finally, not all facets of mindfulness contributed equally to the three somatic complaints, with acting with awareness being a mostly independent predictor of fewer complaints.

Dispositional mindfulness is an independent predictor of better symptom recovery after coronary revascularization, and more favorable symptom profiles in the long run. We recommend examining the effectiveness of mindfulness-based psychological interventions to potentially improve symptom recovery.