Investigating Cardiovascular Reactivity and Recovery During Grief Recall With Self-Affirmation as a Potential Intervention

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how self-affirmation may affect cardiovascular responses during grief. The study focuses on young adults who have experienced a recent loss, exploring how self-affirmation tasks might influence heart rate, blood pressure, and other cardiovascular measures during and after recalling grief. It also examines the relationship between grief severity and psychological stress including depression, anxiety, and sleep quality. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a self-affirmation task, where they rank personal values and write about their top choice, or a control task involving ranking jellybean flavors. Both tasks last about 10 minutes and are followed by a grief recall interview designed to elicit grief-related stress. Cardiovascular data will be collected throughout, including ECG, impedance cardiography, and blood pressure measurements. The study includes a rest period before tasks and a recovery period afterward. During the visit, participants complete questionnaires on health, grief, depression, anxiety, and stress. Height and weight are measured, and cardiovascular monitoring devices are attached. The study lasts through the self-affirmation/control task, grief recall interview, and a quiet recovery phase. Researchers will analyze cardiovascular reactivity and recovery to grief recall, as well as psychological stress measures. The total involvement includes consent, questionnaires, physiological monitoring, interviews, and final assessments.

Cardiovascular Effects of Grieving