title: Psychological rehabilitation after myocardial infarction.
abstract: The value of psychological counselling in rehabilitating patients after myocardial infarction was assessed. A total of 143 men who had recently had a myocardial infarction were randomly allocated to either a group receiving intensive rehabilitation or a control group, their outcome being examined after six months. Patients with neurotic, introverted personalities had a poor outcome in the control group but a satisfactory outcome when rehabilitated. Neurotic personalities responded to help, and rehabilitative measures did not increase neurosis. In addition all patients with a negative attitude towards their illness and future had a poor outcome but those with a positive attitude did well. Selection by simple methods of patients who would benefit from psychological rehabilitation seems desirable.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods; D005120:Extraversion, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D007439:Introversion, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000150:complications; D011379:Prognosis; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011897:Random Allocation