Effects of Cognitive Behavior Therapy on Depression, Illness Perception, and Quality of Life in Atrial Fibrillation Patients

BACKGROUND: AF Patients with depression resulted in a markedly reduced quality of life. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). METHODS: It was A longitudinal randomized controlled trial with a pre and 12-weeks post-test. Ninety persons were randomly assigned to either a CBT group (CBT) (n = 45) or a treatment as usual (TAU) group (n = 45). The outcome were changes in the HRQoL [12-item Short Form Health Survey, SF12, divided into two domains: the physical component summary (PCS) and the mental component summary (MCS)], changes in psychological distress [Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)], and Illness Perception [Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ)]. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences in score reduction for PHQ-9 (t = 3.186, P = 0.002), HAMD (t = 2.611, P = 0.011), BIPQ (t = 7.660, P < 0.001), and MCS (t = 4.301, P < 0.001) between CBT group and TAU group. CONCLUSIONS: CBT improved HRQoL, Illness Perception and reduced Depressive symptoms in atrial fibrillation.