Psychological Aspects of Cardiac Rehabilitation

A Caring Perspective on Rehabilitation after Myocardial Infarction

“…It is important that the support team is small team will have a more passive role than in other rehabilitation programmes. Several rehabilitation programmes after MI have been published during the last decade using different approaches, from purely biomedical, where physical exercise and medication constitute the basis (May et al 1982, Yusuf et al 1985a, to psychological, focusing on anxiety and depression (Ibrahim et al 1974, Byrne 1979, Naisniith et al 1979, Cay 1982, Wiklund 1984 , and programmes concentrating on risk and behaviour modification (e.g. smoking, diet, work and family function) (Croog & Richards 1977, Krasemann & Jungmann 1979, Dwyer & Hetzel 1980, Friedman 1980, deFaire & Theorell 1984, Wiklund 1984.…”

Rehabilitation information and health beliefs in the post‐coronary patient: do we meet their information needs?

“…Many authors, e.g. Ashworth (1985), Cay (1982), Moynihan (1984), argue that patient education and information-giving should begin almost as soon as they enter the CCU. One needs to consider, however, that many patients are in pain or drowsy due to the effects of narcotic analgesia for some considerable portion of their time on CCU and even with continual reinforcement of information during this time, actual retention of information may be very limited (Burke 1981, Durie 1985, Scalzi et al 1980.…”

Recent progress in cardiac nursing and rehabilitation programmes

“…Many of these problems may be resolved provided an adequate continuing education programme is available for nurees on the coronary care unit. In Edinburgh, Cay (1982) found that 90% of patients treated on a CCU for a myocardial infarction were reassured although she noticed that some were anxious on transfer to a general ward, this was usually a transitory phenomenon. However, she stressed the importance of a suitable environment with the provision of windows through which patients could look, clocks, calendars and television.…”

“…She also needs to be a teacher using modem educational aids, in order that both patients and relatives leave the hospital with a simple understanding of his or her illness, and a more complete understanding of the patient's future life style, mobility, smoking, diet, sexual activity and future return to work. Cay (1982) has summarized the requirements for a cardiac rehabilitation programmes as follows: 1 Education about ischaemic heart disease, its course, treatment, prognosis and risk factors. This constitutes secondary prevention.…”