The cardiac psychology service offers a non-judgemental space in which you can talk about and make sense of your experiences. You and the psychologist will decide together what changes you may work towards, taking into account your specific needs.
The cardiology service requires an embedded psychology service for both in and out-patients. Whilst recovering from a cardiac admission, people can experience a variety of changes in how they feel emotionally, think, behave and how they relate to others. This can be difficult for individuals and those close to them.
Research has shown that how people think and feel significantly feeds into their responses, to their cardiovascular illness and its treatment and prognosis. Addressing restrictive thinking and emotional states, whilst emphasizing self management and self efficacy, can enable patients to manage their own health more effectively. This can include increased success in adjustment to life style, improved engagement with treatment, success in achieving previous role restoration (e.g. going back to work, sexual relationships). In addition the reduction of potentially harmful coping strategies (e.g. smoking, alcohol) can help prevent further deterioration in health and consequently reduce hospital admissions.
Cardiac rehabilitation
Cardiac rehabilitation is the process by which a person is encouraged to achieve their full potential in terms of physical and psychological health following a cardiac admission. In order to do this successfully our cardiac rehabilitation team draws on the skills of its multidisciplinary health care team which includes specialist nurses, a physiotherapist and a psychologist. We work together to offer a menu based program to meet individual needs. This involves a combination of education, psychological support, exercise and the promotion of and support for behavior change.
Cardiac rehabilitation is a treatment that saves lives with a proven ability to reduce all cause mortality by 20% and produce a 27% reduction in cardiac mortality at 2 - 5 years. Research has shown that cardiac rehabilitation is second only to aspirin and beta-blockers in terms of cost-effectiveness as a treatment. Effective cardiac rehabilitation results in improved quality of life and a reduction in hospital admissions.
Patient information leaflets