PSYCHOSOCIAL RECOVERY FROM A CARDIAC EVENT - THE INFLUENCE OF PERCEIVED CONTROL

Objective: To determine the relationship between patients' feelings of control at baseline and psychosocial recovery 6 months after their ca rdiac event. Patients: One hundred seventy-six patients who had had my ocardial infarction, had undergone coronary artery bypass or both. Des ign: In this longitudinal, comparative survey patients with high perce ptions of control were compared with those with low perceptions of con trol at baseline to determine differences in psychosocial recovery 6 m onths later. Outcome Measures: Psychosocial recovery was operationaliz ed as anxiety, depression, and hostility (measured by Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist) and overall psychosocial adjustment to illness (m easured by Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale). Results: Signifi cant differences were seen in psychosocial recovery between patients w ith feelings of high control versus those with feelings of low control (p = 0.006). Patients with feelings of high control at baseline were less anxious (p = 0.002), less depressed (p = 0.001), less hostile (p = 0.02), and had better psychosocial adjustment (p = 0.009) at a 6-mon th follow-up than those with feelings of low control. Conclusion: Feel ings of perceived control are important for psychosocial recovery afte r a cardiac event.