Abstract
As a group, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide, accounting for nearly a quarter of the global burden of disease. Mental disorders play an important role in multiple aspects of the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and other chronic non-communicable diseases. Mental disorders independently confer an adverse prognosis for CVD mortality and death from all causes. They also directly impair quality of life. In addition, they impact the success of effective prevention, detection, evaluation, and treatment of CVD as well as rehabilitation after cardiovascular events. Failure to detect and address underlying mental disorders leads to an underestimation of overall CVD risk and importantly, leads to suboptimal quality health care. In this perspective, we provide a brief overview of the global burden of mental disorders and explore the established relationships between mental health and cardiovascular disorders. We describe selected global strategic research efforts to improve the lives of people with mental disorders and CVD.