Differential psychological effects of early and late mobilisation after myocardial infarction.

Abstract

Two groups of male patients who had survived an acute myocardial infarction and who were treated by alternative regimes of early or late mobilisation were given psychological tests on leaving hospital and at follow-up approximately one year later. Test scores on neuroticism, extroversion and lying from the Eysenck Personality Inventory were analysed showing that: (1) both groups studied increased their neuroticism scores and decreased their extroversion scores over the follow-up period; (2) the earlier mobilised group had lower neuroticism scores on leaving hospital; and (3) at the end of the follow-up period there was no significant difference between early and late mobilised groups in extroversion and neuroticism scores. It is suggested that the initial advantages of earlier mobilisation in producing optimism in the patient may be lost when the patient is returned to his home environment.