Conclusions We found that psychological intervention  improved psychological symptoms and reduced cardiac mortality for people with CHD .
However , there remains considerable uncertainty regarding the magnitude of these effects and the specific techniques most likely to benefit people with different presentations of CHD
Background Although psychological interventions are recommended for the management of coronary heart disease ( CHD ) , there remains considerable uncertainty regarding their effectiveness .
The effect of a psychosocial intervention and quality of life after acute myocardial infarction: the Enhancing Recovery in Coronary Heart Disease (ENRICHD) clinical trial.
PURPOSE The Enhancing Recovery in Coronary Heart Disease Patients ( ENRICHD ) clinical trial was design ed to test whether intervening on depression or low perceived social support reduces mortality and reinfa rct ion in patients with acute myocardial infa rct ion ( MI ) . This report analyzes the effect of the intervention on quality of life ( QOL ) , which was an important secondary outcome . METHODS ENRICHD was a r and omized controlled clinical trial comparing a psychosocial intervention based on cognitive behavioral therapy to usual medical care in 2,481 patients from 8 clinical centers . Patients with acute MI were included if they met criteria for depression , low perceived social support , or both .  QOL was assessed at the 6-month clinic visit in the first 1,296 patients . QOL measures included the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form summary measures of physical functioning ( SF12-PCS ) and mental functioning ( SF12-MCS ) , a Life Satisfaction Scale ( LSS ) , and a measure of overall QOL based on the ladder of life ( LOL ) technique . RESULTS There were significant treatment differences on the SF12-MCS ( difference 2.2 , 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] 1.2 - 3.2 ) , the LSS ( difference 1.0 , 95 % CI 0.5 - 1.5 ) , and the LOL ( difference 0.3 , 95 % CI 0.1 - 0.6 ) , but not on the SF12-PCS ( difference 0.8 ; 95 % CI = -0.5 - 2.0 ) . Effect sizes for the intervention on QOL outcomes were modest . CONCLUSIONS Psychosocial interventions of limited duration confer modest QOL benefits in post-MI patients who are depressed or have low perceived social support . Interventions of longer duration or greater intensity may be required to produce more substantial improvements in QOL in these patients
Conclusions We found that psychological intervention  improved psychological symptoms and reduced cardiac mortality for people with CHD .
However , there remains considerable uncertainty regarding the magnitude of these effects and the specific techniques most likely to benefit people with different presentations of CHD
Background Although psychological interventions are recommended for the management of coronary heart disease ( CHD ) , there remains considerable uncertainty regarding their effectiveness .