Psychological Treatment Of Cardiac Patients

This concise primer introduces mental health practitioners to the fundamentals of chronic heart disease. It reviews basic etiology and specific methods for assessing and treating comorbid psychological disorders.

"Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and those who experience cardiac events suffer a wide range of psychological sequelae. Yet, few books show psychotherapy practitioners how they can modify their techniques to accommodate the unique needs of this population. The author, an experienced hospital-based psychologist, provides an orientation to this specialization and, drawing on a variety of therapy models, describes empirically supported intervention strategies. After providing an overview of the cardiovascular system, she discusses lifestyle and psychological risk factors for heart disease. Subsequent chapters cover practical techniques for helping patients overcome depression, anxiety, and hostility--all factors that complicate recovery. A final group of chapters addresses factors that affect treatment effectiveness, such as substance abuse problems, obesity, and sex differences. Case illustrations are provided throughout"--Cover. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved).

Provides a comprehensive overview of epidemiologic, experimental, and clinical data evidencing the emergence of cardiac psychology as a specialty. It offers a thorough and up-to-date review of the scientific research supporting the relationship between cardiac disease and psychological condition, practical suggestions for developing a clinical practice and directions for future research in this new field of "cardiac psychology". The first part provides an overview of the psychological risk factors for cardiac disease. Emphasis is placed on physiological basis of mind-heart link, depression and anxiety, personality and relational aspects, and on advanced statistical tools for the study of personalities at risk. The second part offers a systematic overview of literature on psychological treatments in cardiac rehabilitation.

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death throughout the world. Chronic negative emotions such as depression and anxiety place cardiac patients at greater risk for death and recurrence of cardiovascular disease. In 2008 the editor published a book related to this topic, titled Psychotherapy with Cardiac Patients: Behavioral Cardiology in Practice (American Psychological Association). Aside from that book, there are very few resources specifically written for clinicians who treat psychologically distressed cardiac patients. Unlike other medical specialty areas such as oncology, the field of cardiology has been slow to integrate behavioral treatments into the delivery of service. Perhaps because the field has been largely defined and dominated by researchers, mental health clinicians are only starting to recognize behavioral cardiology as a viable arena in which to practice. There is a large void in the practitioner literature on behavioral cardiology. In a review of Psychotherapy with Cardiac Patients, Paul Efthim, Ph.D. wrote, "Her new book goes well beyond previous works by giving specific and detailed guidance about how to tailor psychological interventions with this variegated population." He added, "It would benefit from even more details about treatment approaches." This proposed volume goes beyond the editor’s previous volume by providing in-depth descriptions of behavioral treatments for distressed cardiac patients written by eminent leaders in behavioral cardiology. This book describes a wide range of behavioral treatments for the common psychologically based problems encountered by clinicians who treat cardiac patients. The book is organized as follows: Part I focuses on the most psychologically challenging and common presentations of cardiac diagnosis; coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, and heart failure. This section also includes a chapter on heart transplantation, which is a treatment, not a diagnosis, but a treatment that incurs profound psychological impact for the individual. In Part II, behavioral interventions for the general cardiac population are described. Mainstream therapies such as stress management, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and medical family therapy are described, along with approaches that have less empirical support but considerable practical significance such as personality-guided therapy and interventions aimed at altering type D personality traits. The literature in behavioral cardiology has a rich history of investigating maladaptive personality traits and thus it is important to include behavioral approaches that target personality in this volume. Part III focuses on common behavioral problems encountered by clinicians who work with this patient population. Most patients who seek psychological help do so because they perceive themselves to be stressed due to their job or overextended in all areas of their life. Other people with heart disease present with sleep problems and/or an inability to motivate themselves to exercise or quit smoking. There are many practical behavioral approaches that can be helpful for patients with these difficulties and these are detailed in this section of the book. The conclusion of the book focuses on how to integrate the behavioral treatments described in the preceding chapters into a comprehensive treatment model.

This concise primer introduces mental health practitioners to the fundamentals of chronic heart disease. It reviews basic etiology and specific methods for assessing and treating comorbid psychological disorders

This comprehensve review of scientific research supporting evidence of the relationship between cardiac disease and psychological condition offers practical suggestions for developing a clinical practice, and proposes directions for future research in the new field of "cardiac psychology". Every chapter is written by world-renowned researchers in the field. A theoretical and practical guide, it will interest physicians, clinical and health psychologists, and all professionals who seek to understand the mind-health link.

The increasing frequency of coronary diseases, the still insufficient results of prevention have brought physicians to try to reduce as much as possible the con sequences of ischaemic heart disease. Coronary units and new treatments have some what reduced the dramatic complications of the acute phase; but after the latter, evil effects of the disease remain at the physiological, psychological and social level. It is the aim of rehabi~itation to analyze these problems, to reduce them or to solve them whenever possible. When this conception of "complete coronary care" took the lead, the necon ditioning effects of heart disease and of immobilization on physical conditi ons were emphasized: physical training programmes were prepared and their main lines and physiological effects are now fairly well known. But it was soon obvious that the psychological problems raised by the patient and his environment 'are equally important. Their approach is however much more difficult and their treatment particularly complex. So, the Council on Rehabilitation of the International Society of Cardiology is really grateful to Professor Dr. HALHUBER and Dr. Dr. STOCKSMEIER for giving the opportunity to specialists to discuss together this particular aspect of coronary disease. The discussions have been devoted to the methods of approaching the patient as well as to the therapeutic aspects and the role of psychologists in the rehabilitation programmes: some papers have been devoted also to the possible role of the personality as a risk factor in the development of the disease.

Clinical trials have demonstrated that psychosocial intervention with patients who have coronary heart disease (CHD) may reduce morbidity and help patients achieve better quality of life. "Heart and Mind: The Practice of Cardiac Psychology" explores these findings and how they can be applied to improve the prognosis for patients with CHD. This [is a] sourcebook for a career in cardiac psychology [intended for] psychologists, psychiatrists, cardiologists, internists, exercise physiologists, cardiac nurses, and other specialists as well as by social workers and primary care physicians.