Identifying Patients Recovering from a Recent Myocardial Infarction Who Require and Accept Psychological Care

Abstract

Using Dutch adaptations of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, State-Trait Anger Scale, Zung Depression Scale, and Life Orientation Test, we attempted to identify which patients recovering in the hospital from acute myocardial infarctions required and would accept psychological care. Of 63 patients who completed the relevant questionnaires, 9 required and accepted psychological care and 6 of these were correctly predicted by the criteria (sensitivity = .67). Of the 54 patients not classified as requiring and accepting psychological care, 49 were correctly predicted (specificity = .90; efficiency = .87). Noncompletion (n = 7) was positively associated with classification as requiring and accepting psychological care. An easy to administer brief questionnaire may help identify those patients with a recent myocardial infarction who, in the opinion of mental health care professionals, require and accept psychological care.