Links between heart problems, depression in men studied

Helping more men get appropriate treatment for heart disease and mental illness is the focus of a new three-year research project at the University of Moncton.

Project leader Jalila Jbilou said it's well-established that heart disease can lead to depression and anxiety, and that depression and anxiety can also lead to heart disease.

"What we see in terms of statistics, it's nearly half of all patients with heart disease can show signs or symptoms of depression," Jbilou said.

"We see much more women come in for these symptoms compared to men. We think that [men] don't ask for services and we are missing opportunities to help them and support them."

The aim of the program is raise awareness of those links as well as to convince more men to seek treatment, instead of shrugging off their symptoms.

"They just think its just stress, but it is a disease that can be treated," Jbilou told Information Morning Moncton.

Women more likely to seek help

"It's different when you talk to a man than when you talk to a woman and until now we didn't realize it, but slowly we are adapting our strategies and our approaches to talk to men and work with men," she continued.

The project is called Mind the Heart and researchers are looking for men, or those who identify as men, who are at least 18 years of age and have experienced depression, anxiety or post traumatic stress disorder as well as those with heart disease, or at high risk to develop it.

Risk factors for heart disease include men with high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, as well as heavy smokers.

"We want to work with those who we are going to deliver services, but also those who deliver services, so clinicians and decision makers," said Jbilou.

The main aim is to raise awareness of the links between physical and mental health, to educate men that treatment may be available to them and to update practices of health professionals so they know how to get male patients to open up about their symptoms.

First phase will include group discussions

In the first phase of the program, researchers will do a health needs assessment that will be carried out as two-hour group discussions between six to eight participants.

During the discussions they will talk about their personal health experiences as well as their needs and expectations for treatment.

The men will also be asked where they turn for support, be it family or within their communities.

Jbilou said men have a higher mortality rates, and lower life expectancy than women and their attitudes towards seeing a doctor maybe one reason why.

The research is being funded by the Movember Foundation of Canada which has donated $3.5 million over the 3 years.

Jbilou would like men to register as soon as possible, and says all men from New Brunswick are welcome, and the study will be conducted in both French and English.