Health Psychology and Heart Disease - Part 2

Health psychology is sometimes defined as the use of psychology to promote health and to prevent illness. It is also incorporated into clinical treatment for established illnesses. Health psychology and heart disease can be used to decrease risk of further coronary damage and will consider the patients biological, behavioral, emotional, social and environmental factors as they relate to the particular condition from which the patient suffers.

Psychology is often practiced by health psychologists who will help the patient to identify their behaviors and experiences that may have led to illness and influences their health. Then, in cooperation with the patient, they will recommend changes in the way that patients process information that may help them to decrease their stress levels, their blood pressure and therefore their risk of more cardiac events.

During evaluations for heart disease, the practitioner will evaluate the factors that may have lead to the behaviors that caused the illness. For instance, physical addiction plays an important role in smoking cessation or jobs may contribute to a high stress levels that lead to heart disease.

You may want to liken the health psychology and heart disease evaluation to what was once referred to as a ‘Type A’ personality. Type A was once believed to be a precursor to heart disease – impatient, high-achieving sort of person. Now we understand that people can’t be solely categorized into one or another ‘Type’ without evaluating the rest of their behaviors and environmental factors.

References:

(1) Circulation: Exaggerated Blood Pressure Responses During Mental Stress are Associated with Enhanced Carotid Atherosclerosis

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9403606

(2) Blood pressure: Cardiovascular Risk in White-Coat and Sustained Hypertensive Patients

http://www.staessen.net/publications/2001-2005/02-57-P.pdf

Resources:

American Psychological Association: Mind/Body Health: Heart Disease

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/heart-disease.aspx

University of Wisconsin: Heart, Vascular and Thorascic Care

http://www.uwhealth.org/heart-cardiovascular/health-psychology-for-healthy-hearts/38645

Academia: Psychological Interventions and Coronary Heart Disease

http://www.academia.edu/807832/Psychological_Interventions_and_Coronary_Heart_Disease