Psychiatric and Psychosocial Aspects of Cardiovascular Disease

Numerous psychiatric conditions, including acute and chronic stress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression, increase the risk for developing cardiovascular disease and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with established cardiovascular disease. This chapter provides an overview of the cardiovascular consequences of stress and psychiatric disorders and discusses the biobehavioral mechanisms that might explain these effects. It also discusses approaches to the evaluation and management of psychiatric comorbidities in cardiac patients, including psychotherapeutic interventions, medications, noninvasive procedures such as electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation, and other nonpharmacological interventions such as mindfulness and exercise.