BELIEFS ABOUT THE WORLD AND RECOVERY FROM MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION

Seventy male, Hindu Myocardial Infarction (MI) patients were interview ed twice-4 to 5 days after their first heart attack (Time 1) and a mon th after their first heart attack (Time 2). The patients' beliefs abou t the world (world beliefs), about the causes of the disease (causal b eliefs), and about the factors contributing to their recovery (recover y beliefs) were measured. Each category of beliefs was concerned with three domains: karma, God, and just world (or self . The patients' phy sical and psychological recovery was evaluated. World and recovery bel iefs were intercorrelated, but these beliefs were only weakly correlat ed with causal beliefs. Furthermore, world beliefs and recovery belief s were positively associated with recovery from MI at both Time 1 and Time 2. Attribution of causality to God was negatively correlated with medical recovery, perceived recovery, and mood state at Time 2. This trend was in the reverse direction for attribution of causality to sel f.