Mental health is an important part of general health and refers to a person’s emotional, psychological and social well-being. Mental health involves how a person thinks, feels, acts, and makes decisions. Depression is a medical condition that affects mood and the ability to function. Depressive symptoms include feeling sad, anxious, or hopeless. The condition can also cause difficulty with thinking, memory, eating, and sleeping. Scientific research has shown the negative impact of depression on the body and the heart.
Depression and heart disease are among the most disabling illnesses they face. Both are widespread in the general population and often occur simultaneously in the same individual.
There is thought to be a two-way relationship between heart disease and depression. A percentage of people with no history of depression become depressed after developing heart disease. And people with depression, but without previously detected heart disease, appear to develop heart disease at a higher rate than the general population.
Patients with depressed heart disease have reduced motivation to follow healthy daily routines, which can result in skipping important heart medications, avoiding exercise and proper diet, and continuing or intensifying smoking and drinking habits.
Treatment options for depression range from counseling to medications, brain stimulation, and complementary therapies.
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