Research shows veterans, people with PTSD and their partners, racial minorities and women are at higher risk of developing heart conditions resulting from poor mental health.
Mental health is an important part of overall health and refers to a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Mental health involves how we think, feel, act, and make choices.
Mental health disorders can be short- or long-term and can interfere with a person’s mood, behavior, thinking, and ability to relate to others. Various studies have shown the impact of trauma, depression, anxiety, and stress on the body, including stress on the heart.(1-3)
Some of the most commonly studied mental health disorders associated with heart disease or related risk factors include the following:
A large and growing body of research shows that mental health is associated with risk factors for heart disease before a diagnosis of a mental health disorder and during treatment. These effects can arise both directly, through biological pathways, and indirectly, through risky health behaviors.(4)
People experiencing depression, anxiety, stress, and even PTSD over a long period of time may experience certain physiologic effects on their bodies, such as increased cardiac reactivity (e.g., increased heart rate and blood pressure), reduced blood flow to the heart, and heightened levels of cortisol. Over time, these physiologic effects can lead to calcium buildup in the arteries, metabolic disease, and heart disease.
Evidence shows that mental health disorders—such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD—can develop after cardiac events, including heart failure, stroke, and heart attack.(4) These disorders can be brought on after an acute heart disease event from factors including pain, fear of death or disability, and financial problems associated with the event.(5)
Some literature notes the impact of medicines used to treat mental health disorders on cardiometabolic disease risk. The use of some anti-psychotic medications has been associated with obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and death.(6)
Mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression may increase the chance of adopting behaviors such as smoking, inactive lifestyle, or failure to take prescribed medications.(5) This is because people experiencing a mental health disorder may have fewer healthy coping strategies for stressful situations, making it difficult for them to make healthy lifestyle choices to reduce their risk for heart disease.(4)
Specific populations, such as the following, show higher rates of heart disease as a result of pre-existing mental health disorders:
Recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health disorders and heart disease. For mental health you can make yourself aware of the following conditions and be on the lookout for any symptoms you may be experiencing.
Anxiety Disorders: People with anxiety disorders respond to certain objects or situations with fear and dread. Anxiety disorders can include obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorders, and phobias.
Behavioral Disorders:Behavioral disorders involve a pattern of disruptive behaviors in children that last for at least 6 months and cause problems in school, at home and in social situations. Examples of behavioral disorders include Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder, and Oppositional-Defiant Disorder (ODD).
Eating Disorders: Eating disorders involve extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors involving weight and food. Eating disorders can include anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating.
Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: Mental health problems and substance abuse disorders sometimes occur together.
Mood Disorders: Mood disorders involve persistent feelings of sadness or periods of feeling overly happy, or fluctuating between extreme happiness and extreme sadness. Mood disorders can include depression, bipolar disorder, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and self-harm.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: If you have OCD, you have repeated, upsetting thoughts called obsessions. You do the same thing over and over again to try to make the thoughts go away. Those repeated actions are called compulsions.
Personality Disorders: People with personality disorders have extreme and inflexible personality traits that are distressing to the person and may cause problems in work, school, or social relationships. Personality disorders can include antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder.
Psychotic Disorders: People with psychotic disorders experience a range of symptoms, including hallucinations and delusions. An example of a psychotic disorder is schizophrenia.
Suicidal Behavior:Suicide causes immeasurable pain, suffering, and loss to individuals, families, and communities nationwide.
Trauma and Stress Related Disorders: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur after living through or seeing a traumatic event, such as war, a hurricane, rape, physical abuse or a bad accident. PTSD makes you feel stressed and afraid after the danger is over.
If you think that you, or someone you know, is having a heart attack, call 9-1-1 immediately. Lastly, here are a few more things you can address to ensure both your mental and heart health.
More than 4.2 million Americans live with glaucoma, or about 1.6% of the country’s adult…
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and…
New research contradicting the myth that aging results in irretrievable muscle loss needs to confront…
Here’s the brutal truth about writing online in 2025: Nobody reads your blog posts.
Can the Health System Align Around a Common Goal — Better Health
Beans are one of the best sources of protein and a food that can last…
This website uses cookies. Your continued use of the site is subject to the acceptance of these cookies. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for more information.
Read More