Hopelessness in the myocardial infarction patient.

Events that cause hopelessness following a myocardial infarction may include coronary heart disease, reality-based misperceptions, lack of future goals and lack of relatedness to others. The susceptibility to hopelessness will depend on how successful the patient has been in accepting previous cardiac-related problems. Once hopelessness occurs, the patient may perceive the future to be limited. Hopelessness centers around seven components: physiological, cognitive, temporal, affective, behavioral, affiliative and contextual loss of hope. This article outlines how hopeless patients may distort their immediate environment and future goals. Methods of identifying hopelessness and intervening with appropriate nursing interventions, which will assist with the management of hopelessness, are described.