POSITIVE LIFE ORIENTATION AND RECOVERY FROM MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION

The study examined the relationship between positive life orientation (PLO) and recovery from a recent myocardial infarction (MI), i.e. hear t attack. PLO was defined as a predisposition to selectively focus one 's attention on the brighter side of any situation. An Ii-item measure of PLO was developed. Seventy male patients of first MI receiving tre atment at a local government hospital were interviewed twice, 4-5 days after their first heart attack (time 1) and a month after their first heart attack (time 2). The interview schedule consisted of measures o f PLO, perceived recovery, expected recovery, helplessness, personal c ontrol and mood state. At time 1 all these measures were administered but at time 2 measures of only PLO, personal control, perceived recove ry and mood state were administered. In addition, the attending doctor assessed the patients' medical recovery at time 1. Results showed pos itive correlation of patients' PLO scores with their medical recovery, perceived recovery, expected recovery, personal control and mood stat e but negative with helplessness. PLO scores were not influenced by pa tients' age, education, or income. Patients' scores on PLO at two time points were not significantly different and were positively correlate d. Their scores on sense of personal control and perceived recovery in creased significantly at time 2. Significant intercorrelations among v ariables, under study, often reduced to insignificance on partialling out PLO. PLO, thus emerged as an important factor in recovery from MI.