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.

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.

Provides a comprehensive overview of epidemiologic, experimental, and clinical data evidencing the emergence of cardiac psychology as a specialty. It offers a thorough and up-to-date review of the scientific research supporting the relationship between cardiac disease and psychological condition, practical suggestions for developing a clinical practice and directions for future research in this new field of "cardiac psychology". The first part provides an overview of the psychological risk factors for cardiac disease. Emphasis is placed on physiological basis of mind-heart link, depression and anxiety, personality and relational aspects, and on advanced statistical tools for the study of personalities at risk. The second part offers a systematic overview of literature on psychological treatments in cardiac rehabilitation.

"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).

Clinical trials have demonstrated that psychosocial intervention with patients who have coronary heart disease (CHD) may reduce morbidity and help patients achieve better quality of life. "Heart and Mind: The Practice of Cardiac Psychology" explores these findings and how they can be applied to improve the prognosis for patients with CHD. This [is a] sourcebook for a career in cardiac psychology [intended for] psychologists, psychiatrists, cardiologists, internists, exercise physiologists, cardiac nurses, and other specialists as well as by social workers and primary care physicians.

This book presents a framework for development, optimization, and evaluation of behavioral, biobehavioral, and biomedical interventions. Behavioral, biobehavioral, and biomedical interventions are programs with the objective of improving and maintaining human health and well-being, broadly defined, in individuals, families, schools, organizations, or communities. These interventions may be aimed at, for example, preventing or treating disease, promoting physical and mental health, preventing violence, or improving academic achievement. This volume introduces the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST), pioneered at The Methodology Center at the Pennsylvania State University, as an alternative to the classical approach of relying solely on the randomized controlled trial (RCT). MOST borrows heavily from perspectives taken and approaches used in engineering, and also integrates concepts from statistics and behavioral science, including the RCT. As described in detail in this book, MOST consists of three phases: preparation, in which the conceptual model underlying the intervention is articulated; optimization, in which experimentation is used to gather the information necessary to identify the optimized intervention; and evaluation, in which the optimized intervention is evaluated in a standard RCT. Through numerous examples, the book demonstrates that MOST can be used to develop interventions that are more effective, efficient, economical, and scalable. Optimization of Behavioral, Biobehavioral, and Biomedical Interventions: The Multiphase Optimization Strategy is the first book to present a comprehensive introduction to MOST. It will be an essential resource for behavioral, biobehavioral, and biomedical scientists; statisticians, biostatisticians, and analysts working in epidemiology and public health; and graduate-level courses in development and evaluation of interventions.

This unique book will help psychiatrists to understand better the risks of cardiovascular illness and cardiologists to appreciate possible pathophysiological links with psychiatric conditions. It describes the common psychiatric conditions, their key features and how they may influence cardiovascular disease, outcomes, and quality of life. It also considers the cardiovascular complications that may arise as a result of mental illness. In an exciting, collaborative approach, psychiatrists and cardiologists combine their expertise throughout the book to provide guidance on the best way to manage such patients, considering the patient as a whole, not the individual conditions.