The effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy on depression, anxiety and stress in patients after coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Abstract Aim. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy on depression, anxiety, and stress in patients after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Background. Coronary artery bypass graft surgery, like other surgeries, is stressful for the patient, and depression, anxiety, and stress are common important disorders in these patients. In this regard, one of the effective psychotherapy methods to reduce negative psychological factors and prevent recurrence of the disease is cognitive-behavioral therapy. Method. The design of the present study was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population of the study included all patients after coronary artery bypass graft surgery in selected AJA hospital in Tehran, Iran. Based on convenience sampling, 30 people were selected and randomly allocated to experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) group. They responded to the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Questionnaire (DASS-21) and underwent 15 sessions of psychotherapy. The experimental and control group were homogeneous in terms of age, education, as well as duration of hospital stay and absence of other chronic diseases. The univariate analysis of covariance was performed using SPSS-23. Findings. The results showed that depression, anxiety and stress of the experimental group significantly reduced in the post-test compared to those of control group. Conclusion. In addition to medical interventions, cognitive-behavioral therapy can also be used for patients after coronary artery bypass graft surgery to reduce depression, anxiety and stress and prevent recurrence of the disease. Special attention can also be paid to the psychological factors that cause or exacerbate cardiovascular disease.