An ethnography of emotion regulation within cardiac rehabilitation (1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An ethnography of emotions and emotion regulation within cardiac rehabilitation
IRAS ID
222067
Contact name
Samantha Jane Meredith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Research and KT Services
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 6 days
Research summary
The current study aims to explore the emotions experienced by staff and patients within a cardiac rehabilitation (CR) setting, the way in which they regulate their emotions, and their effects. CR is an essential and established part of cardiac care, aiming to provide optimal physical, mental and social conditions to improve the management of cardiovascular disease, and for patients to resume functioning in their community (ACPICR, 2015). The field of CR research has dedicated considerable attention to factors surrounding uptake and adherence to programmes (e.g., Davies et al., 2010). However, there has been little research exploring emotions and emotion regulation (i.e., the way in which individuals change their emotional response) in this setting.
Previous research using questionnaire designs have found that in addition to the physical benefits of CR, there are many psychosocial advantages, including decreased anxiety and depression, enhanced emotional well-being, and reduction in the deleterious effects of negative emotions on prognosis (Denollet & Brutsaert, 2001; Mitchie et al., 2005). Existing research could be extended using qualitative investigations that enable the study of social life in naturally occurring settings (Savage, 2006). Therefore, the current study aims to provide an in depth analysis of emotions and emotion regulation within CR using an ethnographic approach. Ethnography seeks to grasp phenomena as they unfold within particular contexts through extensive behavioural observations, supplemented with conversations and interviews with participants (Gobo, 2008). There have been calls for greater use of ethnography within healthcare settings to inform evidence based practice (Savage, 2006). The current research could help to reveal the psychosocial aspects that underpin CR, provide evidence for future research within emotions and emotion regulation, and potential interventions to improve practice.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SC/0097
Date of REC Opinion
31 May 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion