Study objective: To evaluate whether an Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation (ICR) program improves depression and cardiac self-efficacy among patients with a qualifying cardiac diagnosis.
Design: Prospective, longitudinal cohort design.
Setting: Single-center, tertiary referral, outpatient cardiac rehabilitation center.
Participants: Patients with a qualifying diagnosis for ICR.
Interventions: Outpatient ICR.
Main outcome measures: Mental health, as assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and cardiac self-efficacy using the Cardiac Self-Efficacy (CSE) scale.
Results: Of the 268 patients included (median age 69 y, 73% men), 70% had no depressive symptoms at baseline (PHQ-9 score <5). PHQ-9 scores improved in the overall sample (p < 0.0001), with greater improvements among patients with mild depressive symptoms at baseline (-4 points, p < 0.001) and those with moderate to severe depressive symptoms at baseline (-5.5 points, p < 0.001). Cardiac self-efficacy improved overall, and the two subsections of the cardiac self-efficacy questionnaire titled, "maintain function" and "control symptoms" improved (all p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Participation in an outpatient ICR program is associated with fewer depressive symptoms and greater cardiac self-efficacy among patients with CVD who qualify for ICR. The improvement in depression was greatest for those with moderate to severe depressive symptoms.
Keywords: Cardiac self-efficacy; Cardiovascular disease; Depression; Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation.