Anxiety Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Anxiety, including details on anxiety disorder, panic attacks, medication, counselling, therapy.

Effects of a home-based intervention program on anxiety and depression 6 months after coronary artery bypass grafting: a randomized controlled trial.

Lie I, Arnesen H, Sandvik L, Hamilton G, Bunch EH

Heart and Lung Center, Ullevål University Hospital/Institute of Nursing and Health Science, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. irene.lie@uus.no

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a home-based intervention program (HBIP) on anxiety and depression 6 months after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: In a prospective randomized controlled trial, 203 elective CABG patients were included. An HBIP structured for respondents in the intervention group was performed 2 and 4 weeks after surgery. Anxiety and depression symptoms were measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) in both patient groups before surgery, 6 weeks after surgery, and 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: A total of 185 patients completed the study: 93 patients in the intervention group and 92 patients in the control group. On 6-week and 6-month follow-ups, significant improvements in anxiety and depression symptoms were found in both groups. These improvements did not differ significantly between the groups. However, in a predefined subgroup of patients with anxiety and/or depression symptoms at baseline (n=65), improvement was significantly larger in the intervention group (n=29) than in the control group (n=36) after 6 months (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients experiencing high levels of psychological distress before CABG surgery benefited from a structured informational and psychological HBIP. Implementation of psychological screens of patients scheduled for CABG might serve to identify patients experiencing anxiety and/or depression. These patients could then be targeted to receive individualized HBIP.

Published 26 March 2007 in J Psychosom Res, 62(4): 411-8.
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