Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine
Emotional well-being and quality of life are key for patients with heart disease. Patients living with cardiac issues often experience increased stress and changes in emotional functioning throughout the course of diagnosis and treatment. The University of Toledo Medical Center’s Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine service offers integrated inpatient and outpatient services to help patients manage depression and stress and minimize the negative impact of distress on healing and risk for future cardiovascular events.
A Variety of Options
Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine approaches heart disease from a biopsychosocial perspective, a perspective that links multiple body systems and the human environment together to manage risks for illness. We also offer personalized evidence-based intervention in several different areas:
- Treatment of depression
- Treatment of anxiety
- Lifestyle behavior modification (e.g., smoking cessation, weight-loss, exercise, medication compliance)
- Surgery preparation and recovery support
- Recovery support following a cardiac event
- Pre-surgical psychological evaluation and post-surgical behavioral health treatment planning
- Stress-reduction and management; individual and group formats
Team Approach to Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine
The University of Toledo Medical Center’s cardiovascular behavioral health team specializes in helping patients and their families adjust to and cope with challenges throughout the course of treatment. The interventions offered are proven effective through research and encourage behavior change, improve coping strategies, minimize stress, promote emotional well-being, and help patients and families prepare for an upcoming procedure or surgery.