Effects of a multidimensional cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program on psychosocial function

Kathleen Dracup, Debra K. Moser, Celine Marsden, Shelley E. Taylor, Peter M. Guzy

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

42 Scopus citations

Abstract

The effects of participation in a structured, outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program on psychosocial function after acute myocardial infarction or coronary artery bypass surgery, or both, were evaluated prospectively in 141 patients who were married or living with "a significant other" (89% men, mean [± standard deviation] age 63 ± 9 years old). Forty-one patients who were participants in a 3-month cardiac rehabilitation program were compared with 100 patients who did not participate in a formal program. On average, patients in both groups were well educated, older Caucasians who had minimal cardiac dysfunction (New York Heart Association class I or II). Patients in the 2 groups were not different at baseline in sociodemographic or clinical characteristics or in any of the dependent measures of anxiety, depression, psychosocial adjustment to illness or marital adjustment. Six months after initial testing, patients who attended cardiac rehabilitation were significantly less anxious (F[1,139] = 5.09, p = 0.03), less depressed (F[1,139] = 8.39, p = 0.004), had better psychosocial adjustment (F[1,139] = 5.87, p = 0.02), and were more satisfied with their marriages (F[1,139] = 8.6, p = 0.004) than nonparticipants. The findings support the effectiveness of group cardiac rehabilitation for this subgroup of patients in facilitating their psychosocial recovery after an acute cardiac event.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)31-34
Number of pages4
JournalAmerican Journal of Cardiology
Volume68
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1 1991

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
From the Schools of Nursing and Medicine, and the Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California. This study was supported by Grant RO 1 HL32 171 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda,M aryland. Manuscript received December 31, 1990; revised manuscript received March 4, 1991, and acceptedM arch 6.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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