Benefits of treatment for heart patients: Group therapy relieves psychological distress, improves quality of life, and reduces heart disease readmissions. The study, published in the European Heart Journal, said, “About 20% of all heart patients show signs of mental distress, rising to a third of those employed.
“Psychological symptoms, such as palpitations and chest discomfort, can be difficult to distinguish from cardiac symptoms. In this study, five group sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), administered by nurses as an addition to routine cardiac rehabilitation, examined the effects on symptoms of anxiety and depression. I checked. This study included 147 working-age cardiac patients with emotional distress, defined as a Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) score of 8 or greater for anxiety and/or depression. I was.
The average age was 54 years and 67% were male. Participants were randomly assigned to her five sessions of group CBT plus usual cardiac rehabilitation (CBT group) or cardiac rehabilitation only (control group). Those with severe distress or a psychiatric diagnosis were excluded.
Cardiac rehabilitation was performed in 90-minute group sessions twice weekly for 8 weeks. Sessions included exercise, medication adjustments, and education about diet, smoking, physical activity, weight, blood sugar, blood pressure, blood lipids, and psychological issues. , led CBT sessions and was supervised by a psychologist. He had five 2-hour sessions with groups of 3-4 patients. In Session 1, patients clarified their values, such as family and work, and reported difficulties due to heart disease, such as sleep deprivation and fatigue.
Session 2 reviewed the Anxiety Ring, where threats can provoke physical reactions and catastrophic thoughts, followed by gradual exposure to anxiety-filled situations and the ability to calm the nervous system. A discussion was held on coping methods such as breathing techniques to make the patient feel sick.
Session 3 presented analysis and results of current behavior. For example, working 50 hours a week may satisfy you in the short term, but it doesn’t leave you enough time to recover from a heart condition that can have serious long-term consequences.
Session 4 focused on strategies for addressing concerns. Worrying can lead to problem solving, but it can also lead to overthinking, and patients learn to behave more constructively. Finally, in session 5, patients review how their coping strategies have changed over the course, learn how to maximize their strengths, and develop individualized maintenance plans to deal with future distress. received. The primary outcome of change in total HADS score from baseline to 3 months was significantly improved in her CBT group (8.0 points) than in the control group (4.1 points). Both subscales (anxiety and depression) also improved significantly in the intervention group.
Improvements in total scores and subscales in the CBT group were maintained for 6 months. Compared to the control group, the CBT group had significantly improved quality of life at 6 months and a 57% lower risk of cardiac readmission at 12 months. Previous studies have shown that patients with anxiety and depression are less likely to participate in cardiac rehabilitation exercises and educational sessions. The study showed that patients who underwent CBT were more likely to participate than patients in the control group.
The findings indicate that all patients participating in cardiac rehabilitation should be screened for psychological distress and offered CBT as needed. People in therapy groups said they found it comforting to be with others coping with the same issues. There may be other reasons why the heart beats faster than dying – and the nurses helped them distinguish between cardiac and psychological symptoms. I also realized that I could choose to pay to do thoughts, that I could keep my distance (dissociation) and let thoughts pass by, rather than entering them (merging).
latest health news
