Emotion Regulation Intervention to Sustain Physical Activity in Rural-dwelling Women and Men After Myocardial Infarction

Aim 1: Evaluate early preliminary efficacy of the eMotion intervention

Research hypothesis 1. Compared with adults randomized to active healthy living attention control and usual care control groups, adults randomized to eMotion will have greater improvement in these outcomes over time:

1.1. Improved minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity 1.2. Symptom improvement (depression, anxiety, pain, sleep, and fatigue) 1.3. Health related quality of life.

Aim 2: Evaluate the cognitive processes as intervention response variables.

Research hypothesis 2. Compared with adults randomized to active healthy living attention control and usual care control groups, adults randomized to eMotion will have:

2.1. Improved emotion regulation (efficiency and strategy use) 2.2. Decreased perceived cardiac threat and general stress 2.3. Improved cognition and motivation

Aim 3. Exploratory. Examine the relationships between emotion regulation and other cognitive processes and symptoms (threat and stress, cognition and motivation), and symptoms [depression, anxiety, pain, sleep, and fatigue]) among adults enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation after a first major cardiac event.

Inclusion criteria

• First time major cardiac event as documented in medical record;
• enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation phase II program;
• living independently; and
• at least mild symptoms of depression and/or anxiety (determined by standardized measure cutpoints).

Exclusion criteria

• does not speak English;
• major Axis 1 psychiatric diagnosis (e.g. schizophrenia);
• terminal cancer; and
• legally blind