Exploring Compassion-Based Positive Psychology for Cardiac Recovery: A Mixed Methods Case Study

Abstract Approximately one in five cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients experiences severe mental health problems. Combining compassion and positive psychology interventions is an innovative approach to improve mental health in CVD patients. This case study aims to explore the meaning of a compassion-based positive psychology group intervention for a CVD patient. A mixed methods case study was conducted, including in-depth interviews before and after the intervention. A treatment diary was kept by intervention facilitators. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the interviews and thematic analysis was used in the analysis of the diaries. Questionnaires measuring mental well-being, ability to adapt, anxiety, depression, and positive skills were administered before and after the intervention and at a two months follow-up. A decrease was found for overall mental well-being and the ability to adapt from pre- to post-intervention. An increase was found in self-reassuring and sense of ability to adapt at two months after the intervention compared to before and immediately after the intervention. Qualitative results showed that although the participant was still working on accepting her persisting limitations, she was more self-compassionate after the intervention. These findings suggest that a compassion-based positive psychology intervention may be beneficial for a patient with a CVD who is still struggling with physical and emotional challenges. The case design allows an in-depth insight into the impact of an intervention in the context of the lived experiences of a participant.