For graduates of Penn’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology program, the annual MAPP Summit is an invigorating opportunity to see old friends and discover the latest research and applied practices from the field of positive psychology. Held each fall at the University of Pennsylvania, MAPP Summit creates a platform for prominent leaders committed to improving human flourishing in addition to MAPP alumni whose work has made meaningful contributions to society.

Alumna Jennifer Cory, (C’15), stood on that very platform last fall and awed her peers, mentors, and industry leaders when she described the work her social impact organization, HEART Initiative, has accomplished in helping people who suffer from chronic diseases and health conditions. Cory’s initiative teaches resilience skills to people living with chronic illness so that they learn to thrive in spite of the challenges they face. “It’s hope with a plan,” Cory explained.

Cory’s journey was not an easy one. “Nine years after collapsing from a near fatal cardiac arrhythmia, seven years after first learning about the field of positive psychology, and four years after graduating from the premiere positive psychology graduate program in the world, I had the privilege of standing in an auditorium full of fellow alumni to share this work that means so much to me,” said Cory.

She explained that while her cardiac condition is stable at this time, she continues to navigate the challenges of living with a progressive disease. Stepping up on the stage at Summit gave her a moment of pause. She said, “As I prepared myself to deliver the alumni address, my heart began to flutter. I took a deep breath, centered myself and thought: ‘Not today!’” 

And sure enough, Cory not only remained steady during her presentation, but her descriptions of how her program changes people’s lives reminded everyone in the auditorium why they chose to study positive psychology in the first place.

The results of her program are impressive. In a series of pre- and post-intervention surveys, clients of HEART Initiative demonstrated how Cory’s online program improved their well-being. Here are some of the survey questions and before and after responses:

• “I look forward with enjoyment to things as often as before I became ill.” Before the intervention, 30% of participants agreed with this statement, and after the intervention, 60% agreed with this statement.

• “I can laugh and see the funny side of things.” Before the intervention, 20% of participants agreed with this statement, and after the intervention, 60% agreed with this statement.

• “In most ways, my life is close to ideal.” Before the intervention, 20% of participants said they agree or slightly agree with this statement, and after the intervention, 100% said they agree or slightly agree with this statement.

While the initial sample size in this study was small, Cory says that statistical significance was demonstrated. Cory and her team, which now includes 3 fellow MAPP alumni, continue to refine the survey and evaluate their data.

HEART Initiative strives to improve quality of life by first targeting the specific aspects of well-being that are negatively affected by chronic illness. Cory then uses empirically proven practices from the field of positive psychology along with insights from resilience theory to craft a needs-based strategy for her clients. “Our approach includes: Hope, Engagement, Action, and Resources, such as relationships, to activate Thriving. This is the HEART model,” Cory said.

“Another part of what I do is increasing awareness of the impact of chronic disease on society,” she explained. “Roughly 51% of the world’s population will be diagnosed with at least one chronic disease. And one quarter of those who receive this diagnosis will live with multiple diseases. This has massive implications on the world.”

According to the National Health Council, the number of Americans who will be affected by chronic illness by the end of the year 2020 will exceed 157 million, with 81 million suffering from multiple conditions. And, approximately half of all adults currently have at least one chronic condition.

Cory says that the societal and economic costs of chronic conditions are burdensome. “This isn’t just about the individual; chronic illness impacts entire families, communities, and industries. And the cost of lost productivity alone is estimated at $4 trillion US dollars,” said Cory. “Helping people regain their best capacity to function supports society as a whole.”

Cory’s conviction that thriving is a human right is bolstered by a quotation from one of her role models, Atul Gwande, who says: “We’ve been wrong about what our job is in medicine. We think our job is to ensure health and survival. But really it is larger than that. It is also to enable well-being. And well-being is about the reason one wishes to be alive.”

Participants in Cory’s HEART Initiative echo Gwande’s statement in their gratitude for living fully again. “I have actually been handling this situation pretty well. That is a testament to the skills I have learned through the HEART program. I am 100x more resilient. Thank you again,” from a participant in Cory’s program. 

“There’s a direct relationship between a chronic illness diagnosis and quality of life,” Cory advised. “The sooner we reach people after their diagnosis, the better able we are to put them on the right path for thriving as they enter a new way of living.”

Cory believes she has a moral imperative to prevent unnecessary suffering by helping people diagnosed with a chronic disease adapt to their new lives without losing their joy for life. She said, “We have one goal and that is to help millions of people transform the suffering that can come from living with chronic disease into seeds of greatness.”

Jennifer Cory is a psychotherapist who entered the field of positive psychology with a keen awareness of the impact that persistent and cumulative stress can have on quality-of-life. As a person living with a chronic and life-threatening disease, she has a personal understanding of these challenges. In 2018, she founded HEART Initiative: a social impact organization that helps individuals with chronic and degenerative diseases live with less fear and more peace, joy and vitality. Through the HEART model (Hope, Engagement, Action, Resources, and Thriving) clients embark on a path not only to reduce suffering but also to increase wellbeing while navigating the long and often arduous road of chronic illness.