Social Group Work with Cardiac Patients

Develop a comprehensive understanding of cardiac disease process

Cardiovascular problems are on the rise in America. Care providers need to understand the overall clinical and statistical significance these life-changing events have to patients and families alike. Social Group Work with Cardiac Patients is a pragmatic guide that helps social workers and other psychosocial professionals develop and apply cardiac group work in a proactive and directed manner. This valuable text explores social group work with patients immediately recovering from a cardiac event—heart attack or failure, transplants, and implantable cardiac devices—as well the secondary effects of such events.

Social Group Work with Cardiac Patients helps social work and healthcare professionals develop a comprehensive understanding of the psychosocial aspect of cardiac care. In addition to examining the correlation between cardiac disease and depression and anxiety, looking at the emotional aspects of heart disease, and providing an overview of social work group care, this unique text details the four core social groups—cognitive-behavioral, psychoeducational, skill development, and interpersonal. Both fundamental and state-of-the-art, this comprehensive approach serves to enhance practice skills for immediate and constructive implementation.

Important topics discussed in Social Group Work with Cardiac Patients also include:

• understanding adherence to cardiac health and psychosocial variables
• suggestions for using basic social groups and their development
• adherence issues associated with care
• stress management
• management of anger among patients
• holistic affects of cardiac disease on patients and families
• compliance, follow-up, and follow through
• substance abuse
• human sexuality
• differences between support groups and social group work models
• group leadership and co-leadership skills
• and many more!

Social Group Work with Cardiac Patients is an asset as a pragmatic, relevant guide for development and actuation of both general social groups and specialty group treatment.

An accessible and practical stand-alone text, Social Group Work with Cardiac Patients is ideal for mental health and substance abuse social workers, counselors, cardiac nurse specialists, cardiac treatment staff, and students of social work.