Effect of cognitive behavioral therapy for heart failure: A systematic review protocol of randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Psychiatry
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• Heart failure (HF) is a complex condition with significant psychological comorbidities.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a potential intervention for managing HF symptoms.
• Systematic assessment of CBT's efficacy and safety in HF patients is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate the effect and safety of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in patients with heart failure (HF).
• To synthesize current evidence on CBT's impact on primary outcomes (depression, anxiety) and secondary outcomes (mortality, physiological measures, adverse events) in HF.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search across multiple electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, etc.) without language restrictions.
• Independent study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment by two authors.
• Methodological quality evaluation using the Cochrane risk of bias tool.

Main Results:

• The study will assess the efficacy of CBT in reducing depression and anxiety among HF patients.
• Safety outcomes, including all-cause mortality, body weight changes, urine output, serum sodium levels, and adverse events, will be evaluated.
• Results will provide a comprehensive overview of CBT's impact on both psychological and physiological aspects of HF management.

Conclusions:

• This systematic review will provide an up-to-date summary of the evidence regarding the effect and safety of CBT for heart failure.
• Findings will inform clinical practice and future research directions for integrating psychological interventions in HF care.