Heart disease and major depression are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in high-income countries (HIC). Moreover, an abundant corpus of evidence now persuasively supports a causal role for major depression – and probably other psychiatric conditions – in both risk and clinical incidence of heart disease. There is also emerging evidence in this population that social disadvantage, principally but not exclusively evident in such macro-social factors as low socio-economic status (SES), increases the risk and incidence of heart disease. Unfortunately, little is known about the operation of this psycho-cardiological nexus in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). While morbidity and mortality in low-income countries (LIC) historically have been predominantly due to infectious diseases, socio-economic growth and the subsequent rise of the middle classes have now promoted both heart disease and mental disorders as leading causes of illness and death worldwide. In light of these emerging and conjoint medical and social trends, a Special Issue of Frontiers in Psychiatry exploring the social determinants of health, their impact on heart disease, and the possible mediating effects of psychiatric illness appear to be called for to fill this conspicuous knowledge gap. Moreover, such an exercise must adopt a holistic approach to prevention and management, advancing health equity informing policy and practice, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, and creating a professional climate sensitive to educating the general public. By providing a comprehensive resource on this topic, we can contribute to a deeper understanding of the social determinants of health and ultimately work towards reducing the burden of heart disease on individuals in all social strata living with potentially toxic levels of social disadvantage.

The promulgation of well-conducted psychocardiological studies in Socially Disadvantaged Groups living across the spectrum of Low-, Middle- and High-Income Countries aims therefore to shed light on the crucial relationships between social determinants of health and the development, progression, and outcomes of heart disease. By exploring the underlying psycho-social and psychiatric factors that influence heart health beyond traditional medical approaches, this Research Topic will offer a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of heart disease.

The Research Topic aims to:
1. Explore the concept of social determinants of health, such as SES, and their role in shaping psychocardiological disease outcomes
2. Examine the impact of socioeconomic status, education, employment, and income inequality on co-occurrence of heart disease and mental disorders.
3. Investigate the influence of race, ethnicity, and cultural factors on psychocardiological disease prevalence and outcomes.
4. Examine the potential psychocardiological outcomes that follow from cultural dispossession or forced relocation.
5. Analyze the effects of social support systems, community resources, and access to healthcare on the prevention and management of psychocardiological issues.
6. Examine the bidirectional relationship between mental disorders and psychosocial risk factors for heart disease in disadvantaged groups.
7. Address the interactive relationships between built environments, neighborhood characteristics, and both mental and cardiovascular health.
8. Investigate the influence of behavioral factors such as diet, physical activity, and substance abuse as possible proxy indicators of social disadvantage in relation to cardiovascular health.
9. Explore the impact of social determinants of health on neurobiological processes affecting both mental and heart health
10. Provide evidence-based strategies and interventions to mitigate the impact of socially disadvantageous determinants of health on both heart disease and mental illness.

This Research Topic, therefore, seeks manuscript contributions from researchers, clinicians, policymakers and students in the fields of general and cardiological medicine, psychiatry and psychology, epidemiology and public health, and related disciplines. It will also appeal to individuals interested in understanding the broader societal factors that contribute to heart disease and those seeking evidence-based strategies to mitigate these influences. Its publication by Frontiers in Psychiatry will provide an important compendium of contemporary evidence in this crucial and emerging field.

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