Review: psychological interventions do not reduce all cause or cardiac mortality in coronary heart disease
Q In patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), do psychological interventions (PSIs), particularly stress management training (SMT), reduce mortality and morbidity and improve psychological wellbeing?
METHODS
Data sources:
Cochrane Controlled Trials register (Issue 4, 2001), Medline (1999–2001), EMBASE/Excerpta Medica (1998–2001), PsycINFO, and CINAHL (up to 2001); bibliographies of relevant articles; and experts.
Study selection and assessment:
randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (published in any language) that lasted ⩾6 months and compared non-pharmacological PSIs with usual care or no intervention in adults with CHD.
Outcomes:
all cause and CHD related mortality; myocardial infarction (MI); revascularisation (coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty); and anxiety and depression (each measured using several different scales).
MAIN RESULTS
36 RCTs (12 841 patients) met the selection criteria. All PSIs. Comparisons included PSIs alone (15 …
