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Psychological Interventions for Reducing Distress in Patients with Cardiac Arrhythmias
Josefin Särnholm1,2, Allison E Gaffey3,4, Meghan Reading Turchio5
1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 9, Stockholm, 171 65, Sweden. josefin.sarnholm@ki.se.
Purpose Of Review:
Cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (AF) and ventricular arrhythmias (VA), are associated with anxiety, depression, and poor quality of life (QoL). These and related aspects of psychological health significantly influence the clinical course and prognosis of arrhythmia patients, yet their integration into routine arrhythmia care remain limited. This focused review examines the use of psychological interventions, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), in addressing psychological health in arrhythmia patients and discusses strategies for integrating these interventions into arrhythmia care.
Recent Findings:
CBT has demonstrated efficacy in reducing anxiety, depression, cardiac-related fears, and avoidance behaviors while improving QoL in arrhythmia patients. Further research is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions in real-world care systems. Multidisciplinary care collaborations are essential for advancing the integration of psychological health within arrhythmia care. Integrating CBT for psychological health into arrhythmia care can improve clinical outcomes.
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