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• Psychological difficulties are common after myocardial infarction (MI). These difficulties are most often represented to patients through cardiac rehabilitation services and the literature offered to patients after MI as being related to ‘stress’ and its management. However, no research has examined what MI patients understand by the term ‘stress’ or how congruent lay views of stress are with those evident in the professional literature.

• The aim of the study reported here was to examine post‐MI patients' views of stress, its functioning and relationship to their MI.

• As patients' views of stress were sought, qualitative interviews were used. A philosophical approach was taken (critical realism) that recognizes the legitimacy of both professional and lay perspectives. Data were generated in 44 semistructured interviews with 14 MI patients who were interviewed 48 hours, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months after hospital …