Name
Specialty Integrated Medicine (SIM) Training Series: Practical strategies for integrated care teams supporting patients with cardiac conditions
Description

Patients with cardiovascular disease often experience co-occurring mental health concerns, such as depression and anxiety, which can negatively impact cardiac outcomes, treatment adherence, and quality of life. This session, part of the Specialty Integrated Medicine (SIM) Training Series, will explore the current state of the science in cardiac psychology and the complex interactions between mental health and cardiovascular disease. Participants will learn evidence-based strategies for assessing and managing behavioral health concerns within integrated care teams. The session will emphasize practical, team-based approaches that improve both behavioral health symptoms and cardiac risk, helping clinicians feel more confident supporting patients with complex cardiovascular and psychosocial needs.

Speakers
Toni Mahowald, PsyD
Content Level
Intermediate
Tags
Complex Patient Care
Session Type
Concurrent
Objective 1
Describe the bidirectional relationship between depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular disease and its implications for patient outcomes.
Objective 2
Identify evidence-based strategies for assessing and managing behavioral health concerns among patients with cardiac conditions in integrated care settings.
Objective 3
Apply principles of collaborative, team-based care to support both behavioral health and cardiovascular risk management for patients with cardiac disease.
Content Reference 1

Ivey, L. C., Gilchrist, E. C., & Dickinson, W. P. (2023). Behavioral health integration and specialty medical care: Opportunities for applying knowledge from primary care integration. Families, Systems, & Health, 41(2), 278-281.

Content Reference 2

Wu, Y., Zhu, B., Chen, Z., Duan, J., Luo, A., Yang, L., & Yang, C. (2021). New insights into the comorbidity of coronary heart disease and depression. Current problems in cardiology, 46(3), 100413.

Content Reference 3

Goldfarb, M., De Hert, M., Detraux, J., Di Palo, K., Munir, H., Music, S., ... & Ringen, P. A. (2022). Severe mental illness and cardiovascular disease: JACC state-of-the-art review. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 80(9),918-933.

Content Reference 4

Zambrano, J., Celano, C. M., Januzzi, J. L., Massey, C. N., Chung, W. J., Millstein, R. A., & Huffman, J. C. (2020). Psychiatric and psychological interventions for depression in patients with heart disease: a scoping review. Journal of the American Heart Association, 9(22), e018686.

Content Reference 5

Spruill, T. M., Park, C., Kalinowski, J., Arabadjian, M. E., Xia, Y., Shallcross, A. J., ... & Reynolds, H. R. (2025). Brief Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Women With Myocardial Infarction: Results of a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. JACC: Advances, 4(2), 101530.