Effects of cognitive-behavioral group psychotherapy on depression, anxiety and medication adherence in aged patients with coronary heart disease / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To assess the effects of cognitive-behavioral group psychotherapy on depression,anxiety and medication adherence in elderly patients with coronary heart disease.Methods Eighty patients from two communities in Qinghai province were randomly divided into intervention group (n=40) and control group (n=40).In addition to regular care for both groups,patients in the intervention group also received eognitive-behavioral group psychotherapy.Depression,anxiety and medication adherence were measured with the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS),the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8),respectively,at baseline,immediately after intervention,at 3 months after intervention,and at 6 months after intervention.Results The repeated-measures ANOVA showed that improvement in depression,anxiety and medication adherence before and after intervention in the intervention group was greater than in the control group (F =22.805,48.058,128.058,all P＜0.05).Scores for depression and anxiety were lower and scores for medication adherence were higher (all P＜0.05) in the intervention group than in the control group at all the time points after intervention.Conclusions Cognitive-behavioral group psychotherapy can alleviate depression and anxiety,and improve medication adherence in elderly patients with coronary heart disease.