A Person-centered Approach to Depression Symptoms Trajectories in Myocardial Infarction Survivors: a 6-year Follow-up Study

Abstract

Background: Intra-individual change trajectories of depression symptoms and their covariates including coping process variables in myocardial infarction (MI) survivors, were examined in 6-year follow-up period. Methods: Two hundred cardiac patients (age 53.73±7.26 years) were assessed four times: a few days after first MI, one month, six months, and six years later. Demographic and medical characteristics, cognitive appraisal, coping, emotions, depression symptoms, as well as resources and critical life events (both only in the 4th stage) were measured. Findings: Three latent trajectories based on growth mixture modeling (GMM) were identified for depression symptoms: chronic (N=49), rising (N=121), and low (N=30). Belonging to the chronic group were associated with higher emotion-focused coping, negative affect and critical life events number, also lower problem-focused coping, hope, resources number and worse somatic health. Discussion: The findings shed light on the intra-individual change trajectories of depression symptoms after MI and related coping process variables: protective function of resources and instrumental coping, opposite of negative states and palliative coping.