The attitudes toward the illness of patients after myocardial infarction undergoing rehabilitation

The aim of this study was to characterize the attitudes toward the illness of patients after myocardial infarction, and to examine the relationship between rehabilitation in the sanatorium and such attitudes. An attitude scale was prepared. 160 males were investigated, following first myocardial infarction, and all were at the rehabilitation sanatorium following hospital treatment. The discriminative power of the scale items, their validity, reliability and provisional norms are discussed. It was possible to identify favourable and unfavourable attitudes for the course of treatment and rehabilitation. Organized, comprehensive rehabilitation in the sanatorium affected attitudes in a favourable way.