Ricerc@Sapienza

The American Heart Association¿s recent scientific statement represents a milestone in the recognition of the close relationship between psychological health and cardiovascular disease (Levine et al., 2021). Converging evidence shows that psychological health can significantly contribute to reducing the risk of poor outcomes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The main aim of the present project is to examine the interplay of psychological functioning and index of autonomic nervous system activity (heart rate variability [HRV]) that might influence the clinical conditions of ACS (especially in the case of acute myocardial infarction [AMI] and Takotsubo syndrome [TS]). Moreover, the study will consider the impact of the doctor¿patient relationship and individualized psychological interventions on ACS patients.
Four lines of research will be devoted to different, but related, goals:
1) profiling ACS patients by identifying clusters of psychological functioning and related autonomic dysfunction;
2) identifying distinct subgroups of ACS patients with specific patterns of personality and mental functioning related to HRV imbalance, and comparing AMI and TS patients with respect to psychological features and autonomic functioning;
3) developing relational and communication skills programs to support the doctor¿patient relationship in the context of patient-centered medicine;
4) promoting psychological interventions tailored to specific features of psychological functioning (e.g., depression and low HRV) in ACS populations.
The project will employ a multi-method research design, using cross-informant measures that have been well validated and widely applied in the empirical literature. The results are expected to extend knowledge on this relevant topic to fill several research gaps and compensate for the methodological vulnerabilities of prior studies.