The Effect of short-term cardiac rehabilitation program on anxiety and depression in patients after coronary artery bypass surgery

Background: Anxiety and depression are the most common complications after coronary artery bypass surgery. Although patients may gain some physical and psychological benefit from cardiac rehabilitation after cardiac surgery, but some individuals and social aspects may change the cardiac rehabilitation procedure. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of short-term cardiac rehabilitation on anxiety and depression in patients after coronary artery bypass surgery. Methods: In this quasi-experimental pretest – post test design study, all patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery in Razavi hospital in Mashhad (1392) were participated and for sampling, 70 patients allocated into experimental and control groups by non-randomly convenient method. Subjects in an experimental group received 4-week (10 sessions) cardiac rehabilitation program, while control group received only routine post discharge care. Data was collected using demographic form, social support questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in both groups. Content validity method and Cronbach’s alpha reliability were used. Data were analyzed using statistical test Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and independed t-test and paired t-test. Results: Themean age of participants was 57.3±8.0 years old, which 70% of them were male.According to the t-test, before the intervention, there was no significant difference between two groups in anxiety and depression mean score, and two groups were equal in background and confounding variables. After the intervention, according to the t-test, mean score for anxiety in rehabilitation group (8.8±3.1) was significantly (P= 0.031) lower than the control group (14±3.9), and mean score for depression in rehabilitation group (7.8±2.9) was significantly (P=0.001) lower than the control group (14.5±3.2). Conclusion: Short-term cardiac rehabilitation program is effective in reducing anxiety and depression in patients after coronary artery bypass surgery. It may be used in care planning, patient education and encouragement for rehabilitation after cardiac surgery.