Anxiety transmission in the patient with myocardial infarction.

The purpose of this study was to examine and document the transmission of anxiety between the family of the patient with cardiac disease and the nurse and between the family and the patient in the coronary care unit (CCU). A nonrandomized sample of 23 patients with an acute myocardial infarction were recruited from two CCUS. An interaction between the CCU nurse and the patient's family member was tape recorded, and immediately thereafter a conversation between the patient and the family member was recorded. Statistical analysis of the data did not support a relationship between the anxiety of the family member and the nurse but did support a positive relationship between the anxiety of the family member and the CCU patient. The study represents a preliminary investigation of the phenomenon of anxiety contagion.