Key result
Post-ACS anxiety or depression affects up to ~33% of patients, necessitating routine mental health screening.
Why the study?
Acute cardiac events increase the risk of mental health problems that impair recovery and increase recurrence and mortality, but gaps remain in their identification and management.
Mental health problems are highly prevalent following acute cardiac events, and general practitioners play a critical role in screening, managing the 'cardiac blues', and referring patients for appropriate psychological or pharmacological treatments.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Post-cardiac mental health screening may aid recovery in primary care; leaves open efficacy in prospective trials.
BACKGROUND: Acute cardiac events confer an increased risk of mental health problems, which compromise physical recovery and increase the risk of recurrence and premature mortality. OBJECTIVE: This paper provides an overview of the nature, prevalence, predictors and impacts of post-cardiac event mental health problems, and outlines the benefits of mental health screening, effective treatments for mental health problems and the role of general practitioners (GPs) in the identification and management of mental health problems in cardiac patients. DISCUSSION: Post-event mental health problems are common, yet gaps exist in their identification and management in acute inpatient, cardiac rehabilitation and primary care settings. Effective screening tools and treatment options are available and have been shown to improve not only mental health, but also cardiovascular outcomes. GPs are well placed to contribute to the identification and management of post-event mental health problems provided they are equipped with adequate information about treatment and referral options.
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Murphy et al. (2023) conducted a review in Post-cardiac event mental health problems. Mental health screening and management was evaluated. Up to one in three cardiac patients experience clinically significant anxiety and one in four experience depression after an acute coronary event, highlighting the need for routine screening and management.
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