The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for heart failure patients: a narrative review
Maanya Rajasree Katta1, Sakshi Prasad2, Atit Tiwari3
1Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Insights
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) effectively manages depression and anxiety in heart failure (HF) patients, improving quality of life and functioning. Face-to-face CBT integrated into cardiac rehabilitation shows superior results compared to conventional therapy.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Psychology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) significantly impacts patient morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs.
- Psychological comorbidities like depression and anxiety are common in HF patients, worsening outcomes.
- Effective interventions are needed to address these psychological issues and improve patient well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the existing evidence on the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for patients with heart failure.
- To assess the impact of CBT on psychological well-being and functional status in HF patients.
Main Methods:
- A narrative review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and case studies.
- Searches conducted in PubMed and Google Scholar for relevant studies.
- Inclusion of ten studies (nine RCTs, one case study) evaluating CBT in HF patients.
Main Results:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) demonstrated effectiveness in managing depression and anxiety in HF patients.
- CBT improved quality of life, social functioning, and physical functioning.
- Face-to-face CBT, particularly within cardiac rehabilitation, showed superiority over conventional therapy.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a valuable intervention for improving psychological health in heart failure patients.
- CBT can enhance the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation programs.
- Further research is warranted for internet-based CBT and adherence factors.
Abstract:
Heart failure (HF) remains a major cause of morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs, despite available treatments. Psychological issues such as depression, anxiety and poor self-care are prevalent in HF patients. Such issues adversely affect patients' daily lives and increase hospitalization and mortality rates; therefore, effective approaches to address these are needed. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been proposed as potentially useful for psychological comorbidities in HF patients, but its efficacy is not well-established. This narrative review aimed to summarize the evidence on the effectiveness of CBT for HF patients. A search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on CBT for HF patients. Ten studies (nine RCTs and one case study) were included in the review. CBT was found to be an effective intervention for managing depression, anxiety, low quality of life, and impaired social and physical functioning in HF patients. The results suggest that CBT can improve psychological well-being and enhance the benefits of rehabilitation programs. Face-to-face CBT appears to be superior to conventional therapy and can be implemented in cardiac rehabilitation settings. Further research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of internet-based CBT for cardiac patients and identify factors that promote treatment adherence.
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