IDENTIFYING PATIENTS RECOVERING FROM A RECENT MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION WHO REQUIRE AND ACCEPT PSYCHOLOGICAL CARE

Using Dutch adaptations of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, State-Tr ait Anger Scale, Zung Depression Scale, and Life Orientation Test, we attempted to identify which patients recovering in the hospital from a cute myocardial infarctions required and would accept psychological ca re. Of 63 patients who completed the relevant questionnaires, 9 requir ed and accepted psychological care and 6 of these were correctly predi cted by the criteria (sensitivity=.67). Of the 54 patients not classif ied as requiring and accepting psychological care, 49 were correctly p redicted (specificity=.90; efficiency=.87). Noncompletion (n=7) was po sitively associated with classification as requiring and accepting psy chological care. An easy to administer brief questionnaire may help id entify those patients with a recent myocardial infarction who, in the opinion of mental health care professionals, require and accept psycho logical care.