• Andrew M Busch, John Fani Srour, James A Arrighi, Christopher W Kahler, and Belinda Borrelli.
• The Miriam Hospital,Centers for Behavioral & Preventive Medicine, Coro West, Suite 309,164 Summit Ave, Providence, RI, 02906, USA. Andrew_busch@brown.edu.
• Int J Behav Med. 2015 Oct 1; 22 (5): 563-8.

BackgroundContinued engagement in valued life activities is a protective factor for depression and has been linked to readiness to quit smoking in medical populations but has never been examined among acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients.PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate relationships among valued life activities, mood, and smoking post-ACS.MethodsParticipants were 54 post-ACS patients who were smoking before ACS hospitalization. Data on mood, smoking status, engagement in valued activities, restriction of valued activities, and satisfactory replacement of restricted activities was collected 1-12 months post-ACS.ResultsDepressive symptoms were associated with both less valued activity engagement and greater valued activity restriction. Positive affect was associated with greater valued activity engagement and negative affect was associated with greater valued activity restriction. Satisfactory replacement of restricted activities was associated with greater positive affect, fewer depressive symptoms, and quitting smoking post-ACS. The majority of these relationships remained significant after controlling for relevant covariates, including physical functioning.ConclusionsValued activity restriction and engagement may contribute to depressed mood and failure to quit smoking in ACS patients. Psychotherapies that target greater engagement in valued life activities deserve further investigation in ACS patients.

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