Chronic heart disease impacts more than 17 million Americans, and lifestyle and mental health problems are major contributors to the everyday burden of this disease. In this brief yet thorough primer, Matthew Burg -- an expert in the psychosocial aspects of cardiovascular medicine -- provides mental health practitioners with the foundational knowledge they need to understand and work with cardiac patients.

Burg describes how psychologists can help cardiac patients adjust to their conditions, for example by changing unhealthy behaviors and coping with invasive medical...