The role of cardiac rehabilitation in dealing with psychological loss among survivors of a cardiac event

The aim of the current study was to examine the experiences of cardiac reha bilitation (CR) patients within the framework of psychological loss. All pa rticipants in this study reported experiencing losses of some nature some o f which were tangible and others less so. However, these do not appear to h e strictly independent from each other in that tangible losses, such as los s of income, were underpinned by intangible losses, such as loss of self-es teem. For CR patients, it seems that the losses reported are experienced at more than one level. The first is an externally visible and objectively qu antifiable level (for example, loss of occupation), whereas the second is a more symbolic, phenomenologically based level (for examples loss of purpos e as previously defined through one occupational role). The CR program exam ined in this study helped patients to effectively deal with these losses an d to experience additional developmental gain.