Infarct as a stress agent: life history and personality characteristics in improved versus not-improved patients after severe heart attack

Fifty-eight male subjects admitted to an intensive coronary care unit were interviewed and underwent psychometric testing on the second--third day after a severe heart attack (infarct). Seven-ten days following admission, the clinical condition of the patients was evaluated by the attending cardiological staff and rated on a three point scale. The patients were divided, on the basis of the clinical rating, into two groups: improved (N = 25) and non-improved (N = 33). Life history characteristics, MMPI personality profiles, and State-Trait anxiety scores were then compared for the two groups. The not-improved group showed the higher scores on almost all the MMPI scales, higher anxiety scores and more work-related problems than the improved group. Such data give some empirical support to the hypothesis that the physiological and hemodynamical conditon of the cardiac patient is in some way correlated with the patient's style of coping with stress, and his history of previous life stress situations.