Psychological Approach to the Rehabilitation of Coronary Patients : International Society of Cardiology Scientific Council on Rehabilitation of Cardiac Patients

The increasing frequency of coronary diseases, the still insufficient results of prevention have brought physicians to try to reduce as much as possible the con­ sequences of ischaemic heart disease. Coronary units and new treatments have some­ what reduced the dramatic complications of the acute phase; but after the latter, evil effects of the disease remain at the physiological, psychological and social level. It is the aim of rehabi~itation to analyze these problems, to reduce them or to solve them whenever possible. When this conception of "complete coronary care" took the lead, the necon­ ditioning effects of heart disease and of immobilization on physical conditi­ ons were emphasized: physical training programmes were prepared and their main lines and physiological effects are now fairly well known. But it was soon obvious that the psychological problems raised by the patient and his environment 'are equally important. Their approach is however much more difficult and their treatment particularly complex. So, the Council on Rehabilitation of the International Society of Cardiology is really grateful to Professor Dr. HALHUBER and Dr. Dr. STOCKSMEIER for giving the opportunity to specialists to discuss together this particular aspect of coronary disease. The discussions have been devoted to the methods of approaching the patient as well as to the therapeutic aspects and the role of psychologists in the rehabilitation programmes: some papers have been devoted also to the possible role of the personality as a risk factor in the development of the disease. Front Matter....Pages I-VIII The Main Questions of Cardiologists to Psychologists....Pages 1-3 Comprehensive Rehabilitation on Patients After a Myocardial Infarction Psychosocial Aspects....Pages 4-8 Medical and Psychological Aspects of Coronary Heart Disease....Pages 9-19 Experiences with the Budapest Questionnaire in MI Patients....Pages 20-25 Psychological Problems of Cardiac Rehabilitation....Pages 26-31 Psychological Problems in Rehabilitation Programmes....Pages 32-34 Psychosocial Factors in Coronary Risk and Rehabilitation....Pages 35-41 Personality Structure and Actual Condition of Patients with Heart Diseases....Pages 42-48 Some Psychotherapeutic Problems of Patients after Myocardial Infarction....Pages 49-51 The Rehabilitation of Patients with Coronary Heart Disease a Clinician’s View....Pages 52-61 The Cardiac Environment....Pages 62-70 Post-myocardial Infarction. Psychological Problems: A Behavioral Approach....Pages 71-74 Is Coping with Life Stresses Enhanced by Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs?....Pages 75-83 Interaction Between Physical and Psychological Abnormalities After Myocardial Infarction....Pages 84-88 Results of Psychological Testing of Coronarypaths in a Longitudinal Study of the Following Up of Effects of Training....Pages 89-95 Socio-economic Factors Effected by an In-Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation Program....Pages 96-100 Classification of Psychic Changes in M.I. Patients in Connection with Problems of Rehabilitation....Pages 101-107 Psychotherapy in Cardiac Patients....Pages 108-113 Interactions Between Psychological Questionnaire Results and EEG....Pages 114-117 Some Sexual Aspects of the Rehabilitation of Cardiac Patients....Pages 118-129 Sport Therapy in Patients with Cardiac Infarct and Primary Motor Proclivity....Pages 130-137 Changes of Heart Rate, Electrocardiogram and Blood Pressure During Psychical Stress by an Aerobatic Program....Pages 138-145 Psychosocial Stressors and Cardiovascular Disease....Pages 146-155 Psychological Factors Involved in Cardiac Rehabilitation....Pages 156-172 Risk Factors in Myocardial Infarction Patients Results from the WHO Register Study....Pages 173-180 Neurotic Illness in Patients with Myocardial Infarction....Pages 181-184 Members of the “Research-Group for Psycho-Social Problems”....Pages 185-186