Psychological screening in cardiovascular care

Abstract

Approximately one in three patients with cardiovascular disease experience psychological distress, often with an associated poor prognosis. Early detection and intervention can improve patients’ heart and mental health, yet minimal guidance on psychological screening is offered for clinicians working in cardiovascular care. This paper describes a pragmatic approach to conducting psychological screening during routine clinical care, including when and how to screen and what to do in the case of a positive screen. A psychological screening protocol is proposed to enable clinicians to assess and, where necessary, intervene or refer for further evaluation.