The Contribution of Psychosocial Factors to Secondary Risk Prevention for Myocardial Infarction in Young Adults

The aim of this study was to explore and identify the contribution of complex psychosocial factors to secondary risk prevention for Myocardial Infarction (MI) among adults under 55 years. Participants included 30 MI patients who were admitted to St. Vincent's Health in Melbourne. A repeated measures mixed measures methodology was used to examine demographic information, depressive symptomatology, physical and emotional wellbeing, and social functioning during hospitalization and at 3 and 6 months post discharge. Participants demonstrated severe depression at initial assessment but this reduced significantly post discharge. Depression at initial assessment aligned with reports of intense fear of increased mortality. The reduction in depression scores at 3 and 6 months aligned with emotional management of the crisis and improvements in general health, and physical and social functioning. The majority of patients did not participate in community rehabilitation, naming informal supports as the most significant. These results lend support to the use of crisis intervention and empowerment strategies as key elements of cardiac rehabilitation programs, to improve physical functioning and attend to depressive symptomatology in a proactive way, to improve secondary risk prevention among young patients who experience an MI event.