ABSTRACT
Diseases of the heart are a leading cause of death in many Western countries. Approximately 1.5 million Americans suffer a myocardial infarction (MI) each year and 500,000 of these are fatal. Costs of the condition in terms of direct medical care services and indirect costs through loss of earnings and social security or insurance payments are considerable (Ades, Huang & Weaver, 1992; Picard et al., 1989). Advances in medical technology and treatment for myocardial infarction mean that fewer patients die in the acute stage of the illness. However, these gains contrast with the small progress achieved in understanding and improving the rehabilitation phase following MI. The problems that MI patients face in changing their lifestyle, health care behaviour and returning to productive work can be more debilitating than the physical effects of the MI itself. Many patients, for instance, do not return to work following MI although they are physically capable of doing so. With greater numbers of patients surviving MI, understanding the processes that direct the recovery phase of the illness has gained in importance as an area for research.
