Quasi-experimental study observes declines in anxiety and depression in coronary heart disease patients, highlighting sex differences.
Key Points
Both men and women showed significant reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms during rehabilitation, improving overall mental health.
At the conclusion of cardiac rehabilitation, anxiety prevalence declined from 28.2% to 16.9%, while depression rates dropped from 16.3% to 6.2%.
Using a quasi-experimental one-group pretest–post-test design, the study measured mental health symptoms with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).
Findings suggest further investigation is necessary to identify cardiac rehabilitation components that improve psychological outcomes, particularly for women.