Depression is common

A sick heart often makes the soul sick too

Many people suffer from psychological problems after a heart attack.

(Bild: ©motortion - stock.adobe.com)

Around 20 to 30 percent of patients suffer from depression or panic attacks after a heart attack. Conversely, people with depression have a significantly higher risk of heart attack. Many sufferers still lack information about the fact that the psyche can also suffer after a heart attack or heart disease. We need to pay more attention to these problems!

A "broken heart" can cause physical and psychological problems. Sometimes serious mental illnesses only become apparent in the context of cardiac events or after a delay of months.

Life-threatening event
"An acute heart attack, often with severe symptoms and persistent severe pain, is often experienced as a life-threatening event," explains cardiologist Prim. Dr. Johannes Mikl, Rehabilitation Center Felbring (Lower Austria), explains the background. "Any subsequent depression requires treatment with psychotherapeutic methods, often including psychotropic drugs."

If this is not done, the chances of recovery worsen. Quality of life can be massively impaired, even to the point of losing the ability to work. It is also worrying that depression after an event increases the risk of a new heart attack by 15 to 30 percent.

Any subsequent depression requires treatment with psychotherapeutic methods, often including psychotropic drugs.

Prim. Dr. Johannes Mikl, Rehabilitationszentrum Felbring (NÖ)

Bild: Prim. Dr. Johannes Mikl

These problems occur frequently
The cardiologist shows which diseases often occur and what to look out for:

CHD (coronary heart disease)/infarction not only leads to depression, but also often to anxiety disorders.

Panic attacks and depression occur with cardiac arrhythmia, after cardiac arrest/resuscitation and after implantation of defibrillators (ICDs).

Post-traumatic stress syndromes are often found after major cardiac (emergency) operations and long stays in intensive care.

Depressive disorders are 2 to 4 times higher in heart failure.

Takotsubo/broken-heart syndrome: In so-called stress cardiomyopathy, the connection with anxiety disorders, depression and psychological trauma is known.

Professional help is important
Patients must be referred specifically to psychologists, psychotherapists or psychiatrists, because: This professional treatment also significantly improves the course of the underlying cardiac disease.