The $120,000 Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) aims to establish the feasibility of measuring bereavement-related stress in a naturalistic setting. The primary objective is to develop personalized measures of stress reactivity, including affective reactivity (changes in negative affect) and autonomic reactivity (changes in heart rate and heart rate variability), among bereaved spouses. This will be achieved by using a combination of ecological momentary assessment and continuous electrocardiography monitoring. The pilot and feasibility data generated by this 2-year study will support future research examining the role of stress reactivity as a mechanism linking spousal bereavement, cardiovascular disease, and other health outcomes. The award was granted to Northwestern University, a private research university in Evanston, Illinois, and the institution will oversee the execution of this research project.
Generated 3/18/25, 4:03 AM