Behavioral Activation, Medication Equally Effective for Depression in Patients With Heart Failure

Behavioral activation psychotherapy may be just as effective as antidepressants at reducing symptoms of depression in patients with heart failure, astudy inJAMA Network Open has found. Behavioral activation psychotherapy, a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy, encourages patients to engage in activities that they enjoyed before developing depression so as to improve their mood.“Approximately 50% of people with [heart failure] experience depressive symptoms,” wrote Waguih William IsHak, M.D., of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and colleagues. Previous studies show that the greater the severity of depression in people with heart failure, the greater the risk for functional decline or death at six months.The study included 416 adults (mean age, 61 years) who had been diagnosed with heart failure and depression. The patients were randomized to receive either behavioral activation psychotherapy or antidepressant medications. The patients were followed for up to one year.Behavioral activation therapists and medication care managers facilitated a 50-minute introductory session with patients followed by 12 weekly sessions, then 3 monthly sessions, then contact as needed for an additional 6 months. Behavioral activation sessions lasted 50 minutes and medication management sessions (which did not include psychotherapy) lasted 15 minutes. All sessions were delivered using video or telephone because patients with heart failure may face challenges that make it harder for t...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: behavioral activation depression heart failure JAMA Network Open medication psychotherapy quality of life Source Type: research