The impact of support provided by close others in the emergency department on threat perceptions.

Having close others present in the emergency department (ED) can cause patients significant distress. The present study tested the hypothesis that close others provide more negative support than non-close others as a potential explanation for this effect. Participants were 493 patients evaluated for an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the ED ( = 62.01,  = 13.55; 49.49% male) and who arrived with close others (i.e. spouse/partner, child) or non-close others (e.g. neighbour). Patients self-reported support from companions and threat perceptions (in-ED and at recall approximately three days later). Positive support (comfort, responsiveness); negative support (made patients anxious, required comforting); threat perceptions (feeling helpless, vulnerable). Close (vs non-close) others provided patients with marginally more positive support, but also required more comfort,  = 0.32,  = .050, and caused patients more anxiety,  = 0.24,  = .009. Anxiety was associated with patients' Threat Perceptions: in-ED,  = 0.11,  = .002; recall,  = 0.14, < .001; as was provision of comfort to support partners: recall,  = .06,  = .005. Negative support may be one mechanism underlying the association between close others and patient distress in the ED.