A Comparative Study of the Impact of Cognitive-Behavioral Education and Conventional Training on Self-Care in Depressed Patients with Heart Failure: A Clinical Trial

Promoting adherence to self-care behaviors is crucial in people with heart failure (HF) who also suffer from psychological problems like depression. The purpose of this study was to disclose the effect of cognitive-behavioral education, compared to conventional training, on self-care behaviors in depressed HF patients. This randomized clinical trial was performed on 80 individuals (40 in the behavioral - cognitive education group and 40 in the conventional education group) with heart failure and depression who had been admitted to the Cardiology Ward of Ali-ibn-Abitaleb and Khatam-al-Anbiya hospitals of Zahedan in 2018. Data were collected using the Beck depression inventory (BDI) and the self-care heart failure index version 6.2 (SCHFI V. 6.2) before and eight weeks after the end of educational interventions. Patients in the control group received the routine educational materials in four sessions, whereas those in the treatment group received the related educational content through cognitive-behavioral therapy technique in five sessions. Data were analyzed in SPSS V. 21 using independent and paired t-tests, chi-square, and covariance analysis. Although the mean score of self-care behaviors in the cognitive-behavioral group and the conventional education group was not significantly different before the intervention, it was significantly higher in the treatment group (65.14 ± 7.01) than in the control group (36.59 ± 8.25) after the intervention. Given the dramatic impact of cognitive-behavioral education on the improvement of self-care behaviors, it is suggested that the principles of this therapy be integrated into common educational programs for depressed patients with heart failure.