The connection between mental health and heart health was brought to light during the Advocacy Hour Usapang Puso sa Puso at the recently-concluded 56th Philippine Heart Association (PHA) and the Philippine College of Cardiology (PCC) Annual Convention and Scientific Meeting in Mandaluyong City.

The “Mental Health and The Heart” session brought together cardiologists, psychiatrists, faith leaders, mental health advocates, members of the media, and the public to discuss how stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and burnout may affect cardiovascular health.

PHA director III and Advocacy Hour committee chair Dr. Iris M. Garcia was joined by Philippine Psychiatric Association President Dr. Joan Mae Perez-Rifareal, TV personality and content creator Hershey Neri, and spiritual leader Dr. Ed Lapiz.

“Mental health is part of our overall health. It affects how we think, feel, act, relate with others, and make decisions every day,” Garcia started.

“Kapag ang isang tao ay dumadaan sa depression, anxiety, chronic stress, trauma, lack of sleep, or emotional overload, hindi lang isip at damdamin ang naaapektuhan, the body is affected too, including the heart,” she added.

Dr. Garcia also noted that heart advocates have a role in creating safe spaces where mental health can be discussed openly and with compassion.

“As we continue promoting heart health, may we also create safe spaces where mental health can be discussed with compassion and without judgment. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness. It is a step toward healing,” she said.

In addition, Dr. Perez-Rifareal said mental health should not be treated separately from physical health, especially as many people continue to experience chronic stress and emotional struggles.

“Physical and mental health are deeply interconnected. We cannot separate one from the other,” she said.

She said stress is part of life, but excessive and unmanaged stress may lead to burnout, anxiety, depression, unhealthy coping habits, and other health risks.

Whole-person heart care

The discussion highlighted the need for whole-person heart care.

While medicine, exercise, healthy food, blood pressure control, and cholesterol management remain important, emotional wellness, rest, stress management, safe relationships, and professional support must also be part of prevention and recovery.

Panelists urged the public not to wait until emotional struggles become overwhelming before seeking help, stressing that protecting the mind is also part of protecting the heart.

Celebrity guest Neri, who is currently a psychology student and mental health advocate, affirmed how a strong support system helped her overcome the physical trauma she had at 19.

Coupled with regular therapy, she chose to focus on the people who genuinely support and care for her rather than her bashers on social media.

“Sometimes people do not need advice right away. Sometimes they just want someone to ask, ‘How can I help?'” she said.

Neri added that she chose to work for comedy as a writer because she uses humor to heal.

“Because laughter is medicine, I want to share my life, a beautiful life of laughter, with others,” she concluded.

Pastor Ed Lapiz, on the other hand, warned about the emotional burden caused by social media pressure, negativity and information overload.

“There is a difference between being informed and being invaded by information,” Lapiz said.

He urged the public to protect their peace while staying compassionate.

Quoting the Bible verse, “Let not your heart be troubled,” he said: “Guard the heart, but do not harden it.”

Mental health disorder and heart disease

Meanwhile, in another session entitled “Heart and Mind: Conquering Psychological Barriers in Cardiovascular Care,” PHA immediate past President Dr. Rodney Jimenez highlighted the bidirectional link between mental health and heart disease.

He emphasized that mental health and cardiovascular disease share the relationship, where one condition increases the risk and severity of the other.

“Kung may cardiovascular disease ka, mataas ang chance na magkaroon ka ng mental health disorder. Kung may mental health disorder ka naman, mataas din ang chance mo of developing cardiovascular disease,” Jimenez said.

He explained that depression alone increases the future risk of coronary heart disease by 45 percent, based on systematic review data presented during the session.

Patients with anxiety who experience acute coronary syndrome also face a 21 percent higher risk of adverse clinical outcomes, making anxiety an independent predictor of poorer cardiovascular prognosis.

The relationship, however, does not end there, said Jimenez.

Among patients who already suffered acute myocardial infarction, around one in four later developed depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a meta-analysis involving more than 12,000 heart attack patients.

Beyond emotional suffering, the consequences also affect healthcare outcomes.

Jimenez said mental health conditions in cardiovascular patients were linked to significantly higher hospitalization and mortality rates.

Pointing to the lack of high-quality clinical evidence guiding routine psychocardiology practice, he advocated for the creation of “psycho-cardio teams” composed of cardiologists, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, and allied healthcare professionals working together in integrated patient care similar to the European Society of Cardiology’s ACTIVE framework.

The framework encourages clinicians to acknowledge the link between cardiovascular disease and mental health disorders, check patients through routine screening, implement person-centered integrated care, venture toward changing outdated perceptions, and evaluate the educational and support needs of patients and caregivers.

Jimenez said the PHA, the country’s 2500+ strong group of cardiologists, had already begun incorporating stress and mental health into cardiovascular disease prevention initiatives. (ABS-CBN News)