Social-Strata-Related Cardiovascular Health Disparity and Comorbidity in an Aging Society: Implications for Professional Care

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is on the rise in the aging population of the United States. Heart disease is the leading cause of death, hospital bed use, and social security disability. Enhancing knowledge about CVD may improve social work's professional role in the health care system. This article focuses on a pressing CVD-related issue that needs professional attention-CVD health disparity and the associated mental health comorbidity (depression and anxiety) that predicts poor CVD outcome. Findings from a large-sample clinical trial by the National Institutes of Health call for innovative psychosocial intervention. Implications for professional practice, research, and education are outlined.

Co-Word Analysis of First-Authored Publications Written by Top Cited Scholars of Social Work

“…Cluster #3 contains 47 key terms. The representative literature for this cluster covers three aspects of mental health, namely, the within-group effect-size benchmarks for therapies targeting mental health problems (e.g., depression) among children and adults (Rubin et al, 2017; Rubin & Yu, 2017a, 2017b), the associations between mental health problems and physical conditions for people suffering from a certain disease (Ai & Carrigan, 2007; Ai et al, 2007; Levy et al, 2006) and the risk and protective factors for mental health problems among Latin and Asian Americans (Ai et al, 2014a; Ai et al, 2013; Ai et al, 2015a; Ai et al, 2015b; Ai et al, 2014b).…”

Protecting Personhood and Achieving Quality of Life for Older Adults With Dementia in the U.S. Health Care System

“…Therefore, older adults with dementia are at risk of health disparities because of their generational membership and their diagnosis. The aging process itself may further compound health disparities experienced by persons with other disease processes as they age, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes (Ai & Carrigan, 2007;Black, 2002) and lead to poorer health outcomes. A diagnosis of dementia for an older adult often means higher out-of-pocket health care expenses and a greater need for longterm care services and informal care than needed for older adults without a dementia diagnosis and older adults with other chronic illnesses (Alzheimer's Association, 2007).…”

Dying old in the 21st century

“…A corollary to this approach has been to downplay the significance of the biological impact of ageing. Studies of older people dying of the diseases of old age repeatedly call for a social work presence (Ai and Carrigan, 2007;Clausen et al, 2005;Enguidanos et al, 2005), while social work has continued to employ theoretical models of dying and bereavement derived from studies of younger populations and very different types of deaths from those experienced by older people in the 21st century. There has been minimal development of intervention models based on an understanding of the cumulative losses experienced in old age (including in dying), and the tasks to be addressed and issues to be negotiated by older people and their families (Goldsworthy, 2005;Holloway, 2007).…”