'''Cardiac psychology''' is a specialization of health psychology that focuses on the primary and secondary prevention of heart disease by incorporating strategies to address the emotional and behavioral barriers to lifestyle changes (e.g. smoking cessation), and that seeks to enhance recovery in cardiac patients by means of providing patients tools (e.g. stress management and psychotherapy) to cope with life and physical changes associated with their disease. Cardiac psychologists can help cardiac patients across the lifespan: prevention, pre-surgery, post-surgery, and rehabilitation of cardiac disease with a particular emphasis on achieving optimal quality of life outcomes. Cardiac psychology includes both research and clinical practice aspects. ==History== The earliest published mention of cardiac psychology in Western medicine literature was in 1628 when William Harvey wrote that "a mental disturbance provoking pain, excessive joy, hope or anxiety extends to the heart, where it affects temper."<ref>W. Harvey, ''Anatomical Studies on the Motion of the Heart and Blood'' 1628. Translated 1928.</ref> Research labs have been founded at Tilburg University, Tilburg Netherlands<ref>[http://www.tilburguniversity.nl/corps Tilburg University]</ref> led by Susanne Pedersen,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tilburguniversity.nl/webwijs/show/?uid=s.s.pedersen |title=Susanne Pedersen |access-date=2010-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091124184959/http://www.tilburguniversity.nl/webwijs/show/?uid=s.s.pedersen |archive-date=2009-11-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and at East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina<ref>East Carolina University, [http://www.ecu.edu/cs-cas/psyc/cardiacpsychology ''Cardiac Psychology''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621092849/http://www.ecu.edu/cs-cas/psyc/cardiacpsychology |date=2017-06-21 }}</ref> led by Samuel Sears,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ecu.edu/cs-cas/psyc/searss |title=Samuel F. Sears, Jr. |access-date=2010-08-19 |archive-date=2017-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720050552/http://www.ecu.edu/cs-cas/psyc/searss |url-status=dead }}</ref> that focus on psychological aspects of cardiac disease. Cardiac psychology as a term was first used by Robert Allan, PhD, and Stephen Schiedt, MD, as a title of their 1996 book, ''Heart and Mind: The Practice of Cardiac Psychology'' and launched increased attention to the clinical practice of cardiac psychology. More recently, additional texts, such as ''Psychotherapy with Cardiac Patients'', (2008) by Ellen Dornelas,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.behavioralcardiology.com/id8.html |title=Ellen Dornelas |access-date=2010-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414051120/http://behavioralcardiology.com/id8.html |archive-date=2010-04-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref> have attempted to update the literature related to clinical techniques used in the care of cardiac patients. Significant research reviews have also been published spanning psychological factors in cardiac care,<ref name=":0">Dimsdale, D.E. (2008). Psychological stress and cardiovascular disease. ''Journal of the American College of Cardiology'', 51, 1237–46.</ref><ref>Rozanski, A.; Blumenthal, J.; Davidson, K.; Saab, P. & Kubzansky, L. (2005). The epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management of psychosocial risk factors in cardiac practice. ''Journal of the American College of Cardiology'', 45, 637–51</ref> implantable electronic medical devices (pacemaker, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, etc.)<ref>Pedersen, S.S.; van den Broek, K.C.; van den Berg, M.; Theuns, D. (2010). Shock as a determinant of poor patient-centered outcomes in implantable cardioverter defibrillator patients: Is there more to it than meets the eye? ''Pacing Clin Electrophysiol'' (In press).</ref><ref>Sears, S.; Matchett, M.; Conti, J. Effective management of ICD patient psychosocial issues and patient critical events. ''J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol'' 2009; 20(11): 1297–304.</ref> and congestive heart failure.<ref>Rutledge, T.; Reis, V.A.; Linke, S.E.; Greenberg, B.H. & Mills, P.J. (2006). Depression in congestive heart failure: A meta-analytic review of prevalence, intervention effects, and associations with clinical outcomes. ''Journal of the American College of Cardiology'', 48, 1527–37.</ref>
== Applications == Cardiac psychology can be applied across multiple stages of cardiac care. Long-term rehabilitation and preventative interventions focus on addressing barriers that affect sustained lifestyle changes.<ref name="Sears">{{Cite journal |last=Sears |first=Samuel F. |last2=Matchett |first2=Melissa |last3=Conti |first3=Jamie B. |date=November 2009 |title=Effective management of ICD patient psychosocial issues and patient critical events |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19563356 |journal=Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology |volume=20 |issue=11 |pages=1297–1304 |doi=10.1111/j.1540-8167.2009.01526.x |issn=1540-8167 |pmid=19563356}}</ref>
Techniques include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which improves emotional responses reducing stress. This is specifically used pre-surgery in order to influence surgical outcomes.<ref name="Sears" />
== Impact on Patient Outcomes == Research has shown that cardiac psychology has improved patient outcomes in individuals with cardiovascular disease. Stress, depression and anxiety are known to influence progression of heart disease. Interventions and applications used in cardiac psychology aim to reduced risk factors and aid in long-term health.
Studies suggest that integrating psychological care with cardiac treatment has contributed to improved outcomes and lower hospital readmission rates<ref name=":0" />.
==See also== {{Portal||Psychology}} * Health Psychology
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
==References== * Allan, R., & Scheidt, S.S. (1996). ''Heart and mind: The practice of cardiac psychology''. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. * Dimsdale, D.E. (2008). Psychological stress and cardiovascular disease. ''Journal of the American College of Cardiology'', 51, 1237–46. * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100414051120/http://behavioralcardiology.com/id8.html Dornelas, E.] (2008). ''Psychotherapy with cardiac patients''. (Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association). * [https://web.archive.org/web/20091124184959/http://www.tilburguniversity.nl/webwijs/show/?uid=s.s.pedersen Pedersen, S.S.]; van den Broek, K.C.; van den Berg, M.; Theuns, D. (2010). Shock as a determinant of poor patient-centered outcomes in implantable cardioverter defibrillator patients: Is there more to it than meets the eye? ''Pacing Clin Electrophysiol'' (In press). * Molinari, E.; Compare, A.; Parati, G. (2006). Clinical Psychology and Heart Disease. Springer, NY * Rozanski, A.; Blumenthal, J.; Davidson, K.; Saab, P.; & Kubzansky, L. (2005). The epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management of psychosocial risk factors in cardiac practice. ''Journal of the American College of Cardiology'', 45, 637–51. * Rutledge, T.; Reis, V.A.; Linke, S.E.; Greenberg, B.H. & Mills, P.J. (2006). Depression in congestive heart failure: A meta-analytic review of prevalence, intervention effects, and associations with clinical outcomes. ''Journal of the American College of Cardiology'', 48, 1527–37. * [http://www.ecu.edu/cs-cas/psyc/searss Sears, S.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720050552/http://www.ecu.edu/cs-cas/psyc/searss |date=2017-07-20 }}; Matchett, M.; Conti, J. Effective management of ICD patient psychosocial issues and patient critical events. ''J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol'' 2009; 20(11): 1297–304.
==Further reading== * Paul Pearsall, ''The Heart's Code: Tapping the Wisdom and Power of Our Heart Energy'', Broadway Books, 1999, {{ISBN|978-0767900959}}
{{Psychology}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cardiac Psychology}} Category:Cardiology Category:Health psychology