Mental health treatment can lead to better heart disease outcomes, study says

BOSTON - A growing body of research finds that physical and mental health are tightly linked, especially when it comes to heart health.

There is no doubt that our mental health can impact our physical health. Anxiety and depression can lead to poor sleep, restlessness, a feeling of hopelessness, inactivity, substance use, and poor diet which can either lead to chronic health conditions or exacerbate pre-existing ones. 

But does treating mental health conditions actually make a difference? In a recent study in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers at Ohio State University looked at more than 1,500 subjects with known heart disease and found that those who received medication and psychotherapy for anxiety or depression were considerably less likely to get readmitted to the hospital or to have to visit an ER. This study and others point to the importance of treating mental illness as a way to improve overall health.

In:
• Health
• American Heart Association
• Depression
• Mental Health
• Heart Disease

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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