Current Psychosocial Approaches in Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases cause nearly one-third of all deaths worldwide. More than six decades of empirical research have shown that psychosocial risk factors like low socio-economic status, lack of social support, stress at work and family life, depression, anxiety, and hostility contribute both to the risk of developing coronary heart disease and the worsening of clinical course and prognosis in patients with coronary heart disease. In addition, psychobiological and behavioral mechanisms have been identified. In clinical practice, psychosocial risk factors should be assessed and medical outcome should be discussed with the patient. Anxiety and depression should be screened in all patients with cardiovascular diseases. In case of elevated risk or clinically significant symptoms of depression and anxiety should be referred to a mental health professional help. Psychosocial interventions can either be delivered in isolation or in combination with other interventions including cardiac rehabilitation, cognitive behavioral therapy, problem solving therapy, stress management programs. In this paper explained the effect of psychosocial risk factors in the development of heart disease, the effects mental state of cardiovascular disease, and effective, current psychosocial interventions in heart patients.