The process of mental resource depletion and recovery in patients with heart failure:a qualitative research
Objective To explore the process of mental resource depletion and recovery in patients with heart failure.Methods Based on the ego-depletion theory,using descriptive phenomenology research method,a semi-structured in-depth interview was conducted on 16 patients with heart failure in the cardiovascular ward of a tertiary A general hospital in Nanjing from September to November 2022,and the data were analyzed and refined by the Colaizzi seven-step method.Results 4 themes were extracted:acute ego-depletion sources(including psychological stress caused by role transition,and mental resource crisis caused by physical pain),chronic ego-depletion sources(including physical symptoms leading to changes in old habits,patients suffering from persistent discomfort symptoms,patients mired in rumination due to uncertainty,and the cost of treatment increasing the economic burden),ego-depletion(including negative thinking patterns and shallow cognitive processing,complex mixed adverse emotions,and weak performance of behavior),mental resource recovery(including seeking self-healing and providing a healing environment).Conclusion There are acute and chronic ego-depletion sources in the course of heart failure patients,which can lead to a variety of ego-depletion manifestations,depletion and recovery coexist,and change dynamically.Medical staff should pay attention to the impact of ego-depletion sources on patients,evaluate the performance and severity of ego-depletion,and take timely recovery measures to maintain the balance of patients'mental resource and improve the ability of self-regulation.