Breaking Down Silos in Treating Cardiovascular and Cancer-Related PTSD

Both cardiovascular events and cancer can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. This article compares the prevalence, risk factors, correlates, and consequences of disease-related PTSD symptoms in cardiac and cancer patients. The review supports the development of interventions that alleviate PTSD symptoms in adults with these conditions. Interoceptive bias (i.e., hypervigilance, misinterpretation, or heightened distress toward bodily signals) and avoidance of recommended health behaviors are promising mechanistic targets for interventions across both groups. Policy implications include the need to fund intervention development inclusive of scientists, clinicians, and patients with both diseases. This will enable research teams to leverage overlapping target mechanisms and behavioral intervention strategies. Standardized cross-disease screening and treatment of disease-related PTSD symptoms has the potential to improve secondary prevention behaviors, quality of life, and prognosis in the 20–40% of patients who develop significant PTSD symptoms after surviving cardiovascular, cancer, or other life-threatening medical events.