Social support and psychological adjustment to chronic coronary heart disease: operationalization of Johnson's behavioral system model.

No comprehensive theory of social support and psychological adjustment to chronic illness such as coronary heart disease (CHD) exists. This article reviews the literature on social support and adjustment to CHD from the perspective of Johnson's behavioral system model. It is argued that the quality of social support or nurturing is the major factor predicting cardiac crippled behaviors or dependency following myocardial infarction (MI). The variables of self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and perceptions of functional capacity are identified as variables affecting choices such as return to work and adherence to the treatment regimen and the behavioral outcome of dependency following MI.