Heart & Mind: The Practice of Cardiac Psychology

Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference
Review: Although this book is a collection of scholarly articles, it is an easy read. Its subject is the often neglected problem of the psychology of the cardiac event. I know, having had a heart attack, an ambulance ride to the emergency room, days in CCU, and corrective procedures, that the event and the aftermath are quite stressful. The patient often needs attention even beyond a cardiac rehab program. I also know that the psychologists and the cardiologists are not connecting as they should, partly from time constraints, but mostly from a kind of technical gulf between them. Whether you are a heart patient or a medical professional, you will profit from reading this book.

Rating:
Summary: An important book on an important but neglected topic
Review: Although this book is a collection of scholarly articles, it is an easy read. Its subject is the often neglected problem of the psychology of the cardiac event. I know, having had a heart attack, an ambulance ride to the emergency room, days in CCU, and corrective procedures, that the event and the aftermath are quite stressful. The patient often needs attention even beyond a cardiac rehab program. I also know that the psychologists and the cardiologists are not connecting as they should, partly from time constraints, but mostly from a kind of technical gulf between them. Whether you are a heart patient or a medical professional, you will profit from reading this book.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference
Review: As a psychologist working with a young client who has heart disease, I found this to be an excellent reference. The sections on personality variables and clinical interventions have helped me to deepen my understanding of some of the variables underlying his psychological reaction to heart disease, as well as to plan effective interventions. The lay reader may find some of the information too dry and may well want to skip many of the chapters -- this is definitely a book written for professionals. But it is one which I think many lay people interested in the issues involved in cardiac psychology will find useful.