Promoting Mental Health and Stress Reduction

This chapter explores mental health promotion and stress reduction interventions in the context of their impact on cardiovascular risk. Frameworks for effective provider–patient collaboration are examined, with an eye toward decreasing the stigma that is often associated with mental health concerns. A basic review of trauma-informed care and health behavior change methods, such as harm reduction, will support recommended interventions. Methods commonly associated with mental health promotion, such as psychotherapy and psychiatric medications, will be discussed, as well as health education and complementary health interventions. Both individual and group interventions that support mental health, stress reduction, and decreased cardiovascular risk will be presented. The chapter concludes with the perspective of mental health promotion and stress reduction on the same case study examined in Chapter 6 “Psychosocial Risk Factors”.