Randomized, with a multi-hospital design. At the time of discharge from the hospital following a documented myocardial infarction, patients were randomized to treatment and control groups. The control group received usual care from their physicians. In addition to usual care, treatment patients were phoned monthly and responded to a standardized index of psychological symptoms of stress. Those with high stress levels received home nursing visits to reduce their stress. Patients in both groups took part in three interviews: in the hospital, at three months, and at one year post-discharge. Interviews assessed depression, anxiety, anger, self-perceived stress, social support, medication compliance, and cardiac risk factors. Salivary cortisol, a physiological indicator of stress, was assessed on the evening following each interview. Indicators of residual myocardial infarction, ischemia, and arrhythmias were obtained from hospital charts. Outcome data were obtained from hospital charts, death certificates, and Quebec Medicare data and were blindly classified by study cardiologists.