Effects of Metacognitive Training and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Couple Communication Patterns With the Mediation of Perceived Stress, Perceived Social Support, and Emotion Regulation in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease

Abstract

Background: Psychosocial risk factors have been associated with coronary heart disease (CHD). Social<br />support within couples' relationships has been shown to be important to health outcomes and<br />adjustment to psychological and physical conditions in patients with CHD. Constructive<br />interactions with the family—especially within couples— can reduce the level of perceived<br />stress, increase perceived social support, and affect experienced emotions.<br />Method: This research had a pretest-posttest experimental design with 2 experimental groups and 1<br />control group. A sample of 45 subjects was chosen through random sampling from among<br />CHD patients at Rajaie Cardiovascular, Medical, and Research Center. The study population<br />was then divided into 2 experimental groups and 1 control group. The measurement tools of the<br />study were Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social<br />Support, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Gross & John), and Communication Pattern<br />Questionnaire. The data were analyzed through multivariate analysis of covariance and stepwise<br />regression analysis.<br />Results: The findings of the study indicated that metacognitive therapy and mindfulness-based<br />cognitive therapy had an effect on the reduction of perceived stress, increase of perceived social<br />support, and improvement of emotion regulation and couple communication patterns among the<br />CHD patients.<br />Conclusions: The results of the present study can help achieve the objective of reducing stress,<br />augmenting social support, enhancing emotion regulation and couple communication patterns,<br />and—in general—improving mental condition.