Compare and Connect Stress, Coping and Intra- & Interpersonal Factors and Health
Across Health Conditions
Explain the bivariate (one-on-one) and multivariate (combined) relationships between heart disease and
personality, resilience/grit, and religion/spirituality.
Recent extensive research shows that socio-behavioral factors are related to the prevalence of heart disease.
Regarding personality, it has revealed that Type-A behavior pattern among individuals is a high predictor of
heart disease. Other factors such as resilience and religion/spirituality, however, are not causally related to the
prevalence of the disease but are important in helping the patients to cope with its effects.
The impact of heart disease on social relationships
Research reveals that involvement in social relationships is fundamental to health (Koenig, 2015). An individual
with heart disease will often strain physically, emotionally, and financially, which may affect their involvement in
social relationships. Given that these connections to others can give meaning and purpose to life, such
individuals are encouraged to maintain these relationships whenever possible to help in dealing with the
impacts of the illness.
The impact of social support on heart disease
Social support is essential in helping individuals to adjust to illnesses, given that it benefits both mental and
physical health (Taylor, 2011). Regarding heart disease, social support has indirect effects through enhanced
mental health, by fostering a sense of meaning and purpose in life as well as reducing the impact of stress for
a patient (Schwartz, Michael & Rapkin, 2017). Also, it may trigger physiological sequelae such as reduced
heart rate and blood pressure, among others.
Using the PERMA Theory of Well-Being to understand and integrate all we learned this week
According to the theory, five blocks are important in enhancing well-being. It recognizes that human beings do
not only want to survive but aim at thriving. Hence, they are more concerned about achieving higher levels of
well-being given its myriad benefits in the real world. In this regard, we can appreciate human beings are
unique and exhibit qualities that may increase or limit their well-being (Friedman & Kern, 2014). However, in
efforts to limit an individual’s stress and increase their well-being, one can embark on embracing the tenets of
the theory as it has been associated with a plethora of benefits. They include having stronger immune systems,
reduction in cardiovascular mortality, and having overall better physical health, among others.