The liaison psychiatrist in cardiovascular rehabilitation: an overview.

Depression, anxiety and fear of recurrence following myocardial infarction often lead to disability in excess of actual cardiac impairment in a large number of patients. The high social, economic and emotional cost of psychogenic cardiac invalidism has stimulated the development of cardiovascular rehabilitation programs throughout the country. The liaison psychiatrist can play a critical role in the rehabilitation effort. This paper describes the psychological impact of the rehabilitation process in combating psychogenic cardiac disability. The conflicts of the post-infarction patient and their management by the rehabilitation team are presented from the perspective of the team psychiatrist. Cardiovascular rehabilitation as described is a productive area for psychiatric liaison, through individual consultation, group therapy sessions and team meetings which address the psychosocial issues of convalescence.