NUR2225: Addressing CVD Risk in Mental Health - A Practical Guide

This assignment solution addresses the association between cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mental health problems, a significant concern due to its impact on life expectancy. It highlights the increased risk of CVD in individuals with mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, and anxiety, linking these conditions to lifestyle factors and difficulties in self-care. The assignment reviews literature establishing the connection between mental health disorders and CVD, including hypertension, diabetes, and increased mortality rates, particularly in schizophrenia patients. It suggests interventions like smoking cessation, dietary modifications (reducing fat intake and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption), and physical activity to mitigate CVD risks. The assignment concludes by emphasizing the importance of addressing physical health issues in mental health patients to improve overall wellbeing and life expectancy. This resource, contributed by a student, is available on Desklib, a platform offering a wide range of study tools and solved assignments.

Association of CVD with Mental Health Problem
Introduction
The association of mental health and the physical health problems is quite common among the patients who are facing serious mental
health problems. Along with this, it is also observed that, patients with such communication are seriously facing a low life expectancy rate in
comparison with other patients. In Australia, it is observed that, the association of Cardiovascular disease ( CVD) is very common among
the people with mental health problems and it has become a primary cause of death (Dhar & Barton, 2016). The mental illness problems
such as bipolar affective disorder, depression, eating disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorders are associated with
the CVD. CVD comprises of a range of debilitating heart conditions such as coronary heart diseases, angina, stroke, myocardial infarction
and hypertension, and is caused mainly due to genetic, dietary, metabolic and lifestyle conditions such as high fat diet, diabetes, sedentary
lifestyle and tobacco smoking. The risk of CVD may be increased in mental health issues due to their difficulty to conduct self care activities
(Celano et al., 2016).
Review of Literature
According to the study of Dhar, A. K., & Barton ( 2014) it is observed that there is serious
relation between major depressive disorder and Cardiovascular disease that is
coronary heart disease (CHD). The study found that, the activation of the stress
pathways is the linkage between the MDD and CHD. The another study by Celeno et
al. ( 2016), detected the association of cardiovascular disease along with the anxiety
disorder. In a meta analysis study with 25000 patients, it was found that the mental
health illness associated with the cardiovascular diseases in almost 26% cases. The
association of schizophrenia and cardiovascular disease was established by various
studies. It is observed that cardiovascular mortality is very common among the
patients with schizophrenia. The mortality rate in schizophrenia patients has increased
and along with this, the life expectancy has also reduced. The study found significant
relation in between the cardiovascular disease and schizophrenia. The study of () also
supported the fact that, cardiovascular disease has become a serious cause of
mortality in the schizophrenia patients.
Impact of CVD on the Mental Health Patients
• In various studies it was observed that, the cardiovascular disease among the
patients with major depressive disorder can cause hypertension, diabetes mellitus.
• The depression and CVD are the two leading causes of global burden of the
diseases.
• Due to the onset of diabetes, the patients have more risk of deaths due to the CVD.
The study by (), showed that after developing the diabetes due to CVD, the chances
of death among those patients had increased than before.
• The study of Ringen et al. (2014), showed that schizophrenia patients with CVD, has
the mortality rate of 40-50% in most of the studies which were analysed in their
non systematic review study.
• The physical health problem among the mental health patients has significantly
reduce the life expectancy. In a Australian study, it was observed that, the life
expectancy gap between the mental health patients and normal population was
almost 15.9 years.
• The total death occurrence among those patients was almost 77.7% and among the
total death 29.9% cases were due to CVD.
Interventions for Reducing risks
• In order to reduce the impact of CVD on the patient’s health a few interventions can be
recommended.
• From various studies it is observed that, persons who are regular smoker, generally have
higher chances of CVD. Cessation of tobacco smoking can be a important step for reducing
the risk of CVD.
• The dietary fat consumption in a high amount is greatly associated with the CVD. So
modification of diet by reducing fat intake in the daily diet of the individual can lower the
risk of CVD
• The consumption of vegetables and fruits is highly recommended as they promote the
well being of the heart health by providing various flavonoids,. Micro nutrient,
antioxidants, potassium and fibres.
• In order to reduce the obesity problem, practice of physical activity is recommended. As
in various studies, it is observed that, obesity and CVD are associated with each other.
References
Celano, C. M., Daunis, D. J., Lokko, H. N., Campbell, K. A., & Huffman, J. C. (2016). Anxiety
disorders and cardiovascular disease. Current psychiatry reports, 18(11), 101.
doi: 10.1007/s11920-016-0739-5
Dhar, A. K., & Barton, D. A. (2016). Depression and the link with cardiovascular
disease. Frontiers in psychiatry, 7, 33.doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00033
Happell, B., Platania-Phung, C., Webster, S., McKenna, B., Millar, F., Stanton, R., ... & Scott, D.
(2015). Applying the World Health Organization Mental Health Action Plan to evaluate policy on
addressing co-occurrence of physical and mental illnesses in Australia. Australian Health
Review, 39(4), 370-378. doi.org/10.1071/AH14098
Lawrence, D., Hancock, J. K., & Kiesly, S. (2013). The gap in life expectancy from preventable
physical illness in psychiatric patients in Western Australia: retrospective analysis of population
based registers. BMJ 2013;346:f2539. doi: 10.1136/bmj.f2539
Ringen, P. A., Engh, J. A., Birkenaes, A. B., Dieset, I., & Andreassen, O. A. (2014). Increased
mortality in schizophrenia due to cardiovascular disease–a non-systematic review of
epidemiology, possible causes, and interventions. Frontiers in psychiatry, 5, 137.
doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00137
Vigo, D., Thornicroft, G., Atun, R. (2016). Estimating the True Global Burden of Mental Illness.
Lancet Psychiatry 2016; 3: 171-78 . Retrived from :
https://www.mhinnovation.net/sites/default/files/downloads/resource/Vigo%2C%20Thornicroft
%2C%20%26%20Atun%20Policy%20Brief.pdf
WHO (2019). Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. WHO. Retrieved from :
https://www.who.int/cardiovascular_diseases/guidelines/Full%20text.pdf [ Accessed at : 20th
March, 2019].
WHO ( 2019). Tobacco Free Initiative ( TFI). WHO. Retrieved from :
https://www.who.int/tobacco/mpower/graphs/en/. [ Accessed at : 22nd March, 2019].
WHO (2019). Cardiovascular disease. WHO. Retrieved from :
https://www.who.int/cardiovascular_diseases/en/ [ Accessed at : 22nd March, 2019].
Source: WHO ( 2019). Tobacco Free Initiative ( TFI). WHO. Retrieved from :
https://www.who.int/tobacco/mpower/graphs/en/. [ Accessed at : 22nd March, 2019].
Source: WHO (2019). Cardiovascular disease. WHO. Retrieved from :
https://www.who.int/cardiovascular_diseases/en/ [ Accessed at : 22nd March, 2019].
Source: Vigo, D., Thornicroft, G., Atun, R. (2016). Estimating the True Global Burden of Mental Illness.
Lancet Psychiatry 2016; 3: 171-78 . Retrived from :
https://www.mhinnovation.net/sites/default/files/downloads/resource/Vigo%2C%20Thornicroft%2C
%20%26%20Atun%20Policy%20Brief.pdf