Cardiovascular diseases have been a widespread cause of adult morbidity and mortality in the developed part of the world and in Slovenia for decades. The most common heart disease is an unpredictable and life-threatening heart attack, which can have a number of psychological consequences for a patient. In literature it can be seen that cardiac patients after a heart attack may experience anxiety, depression, and a more intense experience of stress. In the master's thesis we wanted to examine the effects of the program of early psychophysiological rehabilitation (in continuation ZPFR program) on the reduction of anxiety and depressive symptoms, on the perception of stress and psychological flexibility, on psychological well-being, daily functioning and risky behavior. The impact of the ZPFR program was examined in two groups, mainly the experimental group, which attended psychoeducation, relaxation techniques and mindfulness exercises for seven weeks, and the control group, which did not attend the meetings. Five measurement tools were used in the study: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Five Well-Being Index, the CORE outcome Measure, and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire. The results showed that the ZPFR program helped reduce anxiety symptoms and maintain current symptoms of depression, and participants under the ZPFR program perceived lower stress levels and better daily functioning. Based on the results, it is evident that there were no significant changes in the anxiety scale in the participants of the control group, on the contrary, the participants in the program reported a higher presence of depressive symptoms and a higher perception of stress. The ZPFR program did not help to improve psychological well-being and psychological flexibility, as both groups reported similar values regardless of time or participation. Based on the results, we can conclude that psychological support in the form of a ZPFR program has certain beneficial effects on the mental health of cardiac patients in our sample. The study highlights the importance of greater information and psychological support for cardiac patients. At the same time, the study provides guidelines for the future research in this area and provides guidelines for considering the establishment of a ZPFR program, which could also be adapted for many other patients.
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