Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Rapid Review

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Behavioral Science
• Psychology

Background:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) significantly impacts patient well-being.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is increasingly recognized for its role in managing COPD.
• Evidence for CBT's effectiveness in COPD requires comprehensive synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the evidence base for CBT in COPD management.
• To describe CBT interventions and comparators in controlled trials.
• To identify factors influencing CBT's effects on COPD patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Rapid review methodology.
• Meta-analyses of controlled trials to determine standardized effect sizes.
• Meta-regression to explore predictors of intervention effects.

Main Results:

• 33 primary studies (1996-2019) were identified.
• CBT showed small, significant improvements across anxiety, depression, breathlessness, quality of life, and exercise capacity.
• High-intensity CBT compared to usual care yielded the most consistent benefits.

Conclusions:

• The evidence supports CBT for improving multiple health outcomes in COPD patients.
• High-resource-intensive CBT interventions demonstrate consistent benefits when compared to usual care.
• Low-resource-intensity CBT requires further investigation for cost-effective implementation.