Coping and adjustment to illness in the acute myocardial infarction patient

This study examined the coping strategies of acute myocardial infarction (MI) patients one month following discharge from the hospital. Problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies were identified in 30 acute MI patients and correlated with psychologic, social, and physiologic adjustment variables. Individuals who used more problem-focused coping than emotion-focused coping were found to have better social (p less than .005) and psychologic adjustment (p less than .05). Individuals who had more physiologic symptoms were found to have poorer psychologic adjustment. Early identification of those patients at risk for psychosocial distress is paramount to maximize the patient's coping process and prepare the patient psychologically prior to hospital discharge.