Comparison of coping responses to symptoms between first-time sufferers and those with a previous history of acute myocardial infarction.

Background And Objective: Little is known about how experience with a previous acute myocardial infarction (AMI) impacts individuals' reactions to symptoms of a recurrent episode. Thus, the purpose of this study was to compare the use of coping strategies during an acute cardiac event in patients experiencing a first AMI with those experiencing a recurrent AMI.

Subjects And Methods: Secondary data analyses were performed to examine differences in the use of coping strategies between individuals with and without a history of AMI.