Heart and Mind (PDF)

Although advances in science and technology have reduced the number of deaths from infection, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers, coronary heart disease remains the largest cause of death and disability worldwide. Factors such as high cholesterol, hypertension, family history, and diabetes are well-known risk factors, but research also links numerous psychosocial factors with heart disease. Since the seminal book Heart and Mind: The Practice of Cardiac Psychology was first published in 1996, the research linking psychosocial factors with heart disease has expanded enormously. This second edition distills this research, providing chapters by the world's foremost authorities on the major psychosocial risk factors linked with heart disease, including depression, social isolation, and anger, as well as several emerging factors, such as "Type D" (distressed) personality, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and vital exhaustion. Clinical interventions involving stress reduction, exercise, and Transcendental Meditation are also explored. This volume will appeal to a wide range of psychological and medical professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, psychotherapists, cardiologists, internists, primary care physicians, exercise physiologists, and cardiac nurses.