Psychotherapy With Cardiac Patients

"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).

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.

Despite the stunning progress in medical research that has been achieved over the past few decades, heart disease remains the leading cause of death and disability among adults in many industrialized countries. Behavioral and psychosocial factors play important roles in the development and progression of heart disease, as well as in how patients adapt to the challenges of living with this illness. This volume in the series "Advances in Psychotherapy" provides readers with a succinct introduction to behavioral and psychosocial treatment of the two most prevalent cardiac conditions, coronary heart disease and congestive heart failure. It summarizes the latest research on the intricate relationships between these conditions and psychosocial factors such as stress, depression, and anger, as well as behavioral factors such as physical inactivity and non-adherence to cardiac medication regimens. It draws upon lessons learned from a wide range of studies, including the landmark ENRICHD and SADHART clinical trials. It then goes on to provide practical, evidence-based recommendations and clinical tools for assessing and treating these problems. "Heart Disease" is an indispensable treatment manual for professionals who work with 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.

This book discusses the benefits of application of different psychotherapy techniques, in addition to optimal medical approaches, in patients with ischemic heart disease. It explains the theoretical basis for use of these techniques, discusses the scientific evidence for their efficacy, and identifies important practical issues. Detailed attention is devoted to both well-established and recently developed approaches of proven value, as well as to future applications. In addition, practical insights are provided into the most effective ways of integrating psychotherapy with medical activities in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and rehabilitation centers. The authors are world experts in the fields of psychotherapy, pharmacology, and cardiology, who collectively provide a sound foundation for an interdisciplinary approach to patients with ischemic heart disease. Psychotherapy for Ischemic Heart Disease is both a textbook and a practical manual aimed particularly at cardiologists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and psychiatrists, but also internal medicine specialists, cardiac surgeons, general practitioners, rehabilitation doctors, students, nurses, and patients.

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.

This important book shows those working with clinical populations how to develop an understanding of the psychology of patients with cardiovascular problems to support appropriate medical care. An understanding of the psychological underpinnings of physical illness can alter the way clinicians conceptualize their patients and the communities they serve. Based on the latest research, this book offers suggestions about how to approach cardiovascular disease holistically in multidisciplinary medical settings with competence and professionalism in mind. With the escalating prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, this book flags the importance of understanding the psychological mechanisms at play in affected patients, highlighting the multifactorial pathways that lead to the development of physical health maladies and comorbid psychopathology. It describes the bidirectional relationship of cardiovascular disease with personality pathology and offers best practices in interacting between primary care, cardiology, psychologists, and other allied professionals. It also provides specific instruction about how to navigate the relationship with medical doctors while illustrating the unique ethical challenges or limitations of the health psychologist working with patients, their families, and providers in clinical practice. Moreover, it includes coverage of treatment plans taking into consideration individual differences in age, health status, and culture. This book will be of interest to anyone interested in furthering their knowledge about the complex interplay between cardiovascular problems and mental health conditions, especially clinical health psychologists who collaborate with social workers, primary care physicians, cardiologists, and surgeons alike.

Psychosomatic diagnostics and therapy are of increasing importance in the acute treatment, prevention and rehabilitation of cardiovascular diseases. The connection between heart disease and the psyche as well as the psychosocial concomitant symptoms is well documented. Contents: • Basics of cardiology and psychosomatic medicine; • Doctor-patient relationship; • Ethical issues, gender effects, psychocardiology along the lifespan; • Psychosomatic problem areas and comorbidities in coronary heart disease: Personality factors, risk behaviours, depression, anxiety disorders; • Specific problems in other cardiovascular diseases and treatment settings; • Diagnostics; • Interdisciplinary cooperation, treatment and rehabilitation; • Training courses in psychocardiology. The book offers cardiologists, internists, general practitioners, psychotherapists and psychologists all practice-relevant basics to be able to treat their patients in the best possible way. It is a translation of an original German edition. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book may read stylistically differently from a conventional translation.