The impact of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy and depressive symptoms on self-care behavior in patients with heart failure. A secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial.

Abstract

BACKGROUND\nPatients with chronic heart failure may require treatment of depressive symptoms to improve self-care behaviour.\n\n\nOBJECTIVES\nTo investigate the impact of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on self-care behaviour in heart failure patients, and to study the association between changes in depressive symptoms and changes in self-care behaviour.\n\n\nDESIGN\nA secondary analysis of data collected in a pilot randomized controlled study.\n\n\nSETTING\n50 heart failure patients with depressive symptoms were recruited from four hospitals in Sweden.\n\n\nMETHODS\nPatients were randomized to nine weeks of internet-based CBT (n\u202f=\u202f25) or to an active control group participating in an online discussion forum (n\u202f=\u202f25). In week two and three, those in the internet-based CBT group worked with psychoeducation about heart failure and depression, emphasizing heart failure self-care. During the same weeks those in the on-line discussion forum specifically discussed heart failure self-care. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to measure depressive symptoms at baseline and at the nine-week follow-up. The European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale-9 was used to measure self-care behaviour (i.e., the summary score and the subscales autonomous based, provider based and consulting behaviour) at baseline, and at the three-week and nine-week follow-ups.\n\n\nRESULTS\nNo significant differences were found in self-care between the patients in the internet-based CBT and the patients in the online discussion group at the three- and nine-week follow-up. Within-group analysis of the changes in the European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale showed that from baseline to week three, the summary score increased significantly for the online discussion group (p\u202f=\u202f0.04), but not for the internet-based CBT group (p\u202f=\u202f0.15). At the nine-week follow-up, these scores had decreased. Similarly, consulting behaviour improved at week three for the online discussion group (p\u202f=\u202f0.04), but not for the internet-based CBT group (p\u202f=\u202f0.22). Provider-based adherence at the nine-week follow-up had increased from baseline in the internet-based CBT group (p\u202f=\u202f0.05) whereas it had decreased in the on-line discussion group. Improvement in symptoms of depression was significantly associated with improvement in autonomy-based self-care (r\u202f=\u202f0.34, p\u202f=\u202f0.03).\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nImprovement in depressive symptoms was associated with improved autonomous-based self-care. ICBT for depression in HF may benefit aspects of self-care that are vital to improve symptoms and prognosis.