The relationships among social support and short‐ and long‐term recovery outcomes in men with coronary heart disease

To determine the extent to which social support from the spouse and a health care provider (HCP) is associated with short‐ and long‐term recovery outcomes in individuals after a cardiac illness, 93 patients were interviewed 2 months (short‐term) after their event; 73 (78%) subjects responded to a follow‐up questionnaire 1 year later (long‐term). Tangible aid from the spouse was associated with better short‐term psychological recovery. Satisfaction with and more emotional support from the spouse were associated with better short‐ and long‐term psychological recovery outcomes. Greater satisfaction with HCP support was associated with patients' short‐ and long‐term physical recoveries. These results highlight the value of different sources and types of support as having differential effects on physical and psychological recovery outcomes. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.