Positive Psychology Interventions and Cardiovascular Health: Frequency and Duration to Sustain Cardiovascular Benefits, an article led and co-authored by Social Work Associate Professor Dr. Rosalba “Rose” Hernandez, has been published in Cardiology Clinics.
The article shows that how often and how long people engage in positive psychology practices—such as journaling, daily reflections on positive events and performing prosocial behaviors (e.g., acts of kindness)—matters for maintaining heart health, not just whether they try them once. The findings offer practical guidance for designing simple, scalable well-being programs that can be implemented in real-world clinical and community settings.
“Heart health is about more than reducing risk—it’s also about building strengths,” Dr. Hernandez said. “Recognizing and supporting positive psychological assets such as optimism and positive affect can help patients thrive and may play a meaningful role in cardiovascular care.”