Anxiety over heart attacks
March 12, 2013
ONLY a small number of
Australians that suffer a heart
attack receive mental health advice
during their recovery stages, despite
the health scare leaving them at a
higher risk of anxiety and depression,
according to beyondblue.
“A recent analysis of people in a
large Victorian town shows only
about a third of people who've had
a non-fatal heart attack or coronary
disease get the mental health
information they need, and this is
not uncommon across the rest of
Australia,” said beyondblue CEO
Kate Carnell.
“This means thousands of
Australians who urgently need
guidance on how to protect
themselves from mental illness
miss out, despite being almost
twice as likely to develop an anxiety
condition when compared to the
general population.
“They are also more likely to
become depressed,” she added.
The comments come in the lead
up to the release of a new
pamphlet, by beyondblue and the
Australian Healthcare and Hospitals
Association, the first of its kind in
Australia, to raise awareness about
the increased mental health risks
people face after a serious health
issue has landed them in
hospital.
According to the beyondblue
research up to 50% of people who
survive a heart attack or coronary
artery disease then develop an
anxiety condition, compared with
26% of the general population who
will experience one over a lifetime.
Despite this, only between 31%
and 37% heart attack or coronary
artery disease survivors receive
information about how to cope
emotionally as they recover.
“People need to know that a
sudden health event can leave
them emotionally vulnerable and
this pamphlet shows the simple
steps they can take to ensure they
don't develop depression or
anxiety,” said Carnell.
“These pamphlets meet the
urgent need to educate hospital
patients about how they can
protect themselves.
“People often make a full
recovery from a physical illness, but
their mental health suffers because
they're not aware of the risks they
face,” she added.
To order the pamphlet, see
www.beyondblue.org.au.
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