Mental health and prevention of cardiovascular disease in general practice- impacts and interactions

Project Status
Completed

Chief Investigators
Mark Harris, Gavin Andrews

Other Team Members
HIPS Investigators

Rationale

This study is being undertaken in association with the HIPS study described above. It aims to explore the relationship between psychological distress and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease in general practice in both rural and urban settings in NSW, to determine whether patients’ level of psychological distress modifies the impact of an intervention in general practice to assist patients to modify their risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and to determine whether an intervention aiming to reduce cardiovascular risk in a general practice patient population also has an impact on the patients’ mental health.

Aims

1. To explore the relationship between psychological distress and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease in general practice in both rural and urban settings in NSW

2. To determine whether patients’ level of psychological distress modifies the impact of an intervention in general practice to assist patients to modify their risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

3. To determine whether an intervention aiming to reduce cardiovascular risk in a general practice patient population also has an impact on the patients’ mental health.

Design and Method

This study has been conducted in parallel with a large randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a general practice based intervention to prevent chronic vascular disease, with randomisation at the level of practices. The aim of the trial was to evaluate the impact of a general practice intervention for patients at high risk for vascular disease on change in behavioural and physiological risk factors as part of recall for a health check in general practice.The aims and objectives related to the impact of psychological distress on the trial subjects were incorporated into the trial and were measured using a validated self completed questionnaire for psychological distress, the K10 (Andrews and Slade, 2001). Following the intervention, a sample of the participants (patients and GPs) were interviewed to explore their perspectives about the impact of psychological distress and its relationship to their perceptionsof cardiovascular disease risk and maintenance of healthly lifestyle behaviours. The sample was purposeful and recruited patients with medium and low levels of psychological distress. GPs from both intervention practices in both rural and urban settings were selected and participated in a semi-structured interview.

Key Publications

McKenzie S, Jayasinghe UW, Fanaian M, Passey M, Lyle D, Andrews G, Powell Davies G, Harris M. Socio-demographic factors, behaviour and personality: associations with psychological distress, European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, 21 February 2011, published on-line: DOI: 10.1177/1741826711399426; http://cpr.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/02/17/1741826711399426