[Psychological problems in a coronary intensive care unit].

A psychological investigation carried out by a psychologist was performed on 58 patients with myocardial infarction, initially hospitalized in an intensive care unit. The results were compared with those obtained in 37 patients hospitalized in the same conditions, but for different diseases. The manifestations previously described have been for a large part recognized: anxiety, indifference, regression, displacement of anxiety or its projection, depression, sleep disturbances, hostility, "surviver" or "Minotaurus" syndrome. A few practical conclusions are put forward concerning the attitude of the nursing team on arrival at hospital, on the style of physician-patient relationship, the duration of the stay in intensive care unit, the interest of interviews performed by a psychologist.