The Effectiveness of Positive Thinking–Based Therapy Training on Cognitive Emotion Regulation (Positive and Negative), Resilience, and Anxiety in Cardiovascular Patients
Keywords:
positive thinking, cognitive emotion regulation, resilience, anxiety, cardiovascular diseaseAbstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of positive thinking–based therapy training on positive and negative cognitive emotion regulation, resilience, and anxiety in cardiovascular patients. This study employed a quasi-experimental method with a pretest–posttest design including experimental and control groups. The statistical population consisted of all cardiovascular patients hospitalized at Imam Reza Hospital. Using an available sampling method, 15 patients were selected as the experimental group and 15 patients were assigned to the control group. In selecting the research sample, an attempt was made to recruit patients who were in relatively stable conditions and in the process of discharge. Subsequently, the experimental group in the third cardiac ward received positive thinking skills training. The instruments used in the present study included the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire developed by Garnefski and colleagues (2001), the Resilience Scale developed by Connor and Davidson (2003), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (1990). Each group was assessed twice. The first assessment was conducted through a pretest, and the second assessment was conducted through a posttest. The experimental group was exposed to the independent variable (positive thinking skills training) in ten 1-hour sessions, whereas the control group received no intervention. The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The results of the covariance analysis regarding the effect of positive thinking–based therapy training on cognitive emotion regulation, resilience, and anxiety in cardiovascular patients showed that, after controlling for the pretest effect, the difference between the two groups at the posttest stage was statistically significant. The findings of the present study indicate that positive thinking skills training is effective in improving cognitive emotion regulation and resilience and reducing anxiety in cardiovascular patients.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Arezoo Abshary , Mitra Nourani , Shima Masoumi (Author); Morteza Alizadeh; Somayyeh Ghorbani, Kamran Pourmohammad Ghouchani (Author)

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