Anxiety and rehabilitation after myocardial infarction

General and specific anxiety, connected with the fact of myocardial infarction (MI), were investigated in 105 patients before and at the end of posthospitalization rehabilitation. Results as regards general anxiety were compared with data of 63 employed men free of coronary disease and with 34 comparable rheumatic patients. The patients with MI, before the comprehensive rehabilitation, compared with both control groups, have had higher levels of general anxiety in a statistically significant way. At the end of rehabilitation there were no significant differences. There was a significant positive correlation between general and specific anxiety, connected with the fact of MI. During the organized comprehensive posthospitalization rehabilitation, we see that there is a statisticallysignificant decrease of general and specific anxiety.