Abstract
Background
Depression is common after a cardiac event; however it often remains untreated. Previously, we reported the efficacy and feasibility of a 6-month tele-health programme (MoodCare), which integrates depression management into a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction programme for Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) patients with low mood. Here, we evaluate the long-term efficacy of the programme at 12-month follow-up.
Design
A two-arm, parallel, randomized design to compare the long-term effects of ‘MoodCare’ (n = 61) to usual care (UC) (n = 60) at 12 months.
Method
121 ACS patients recruited from six hospitals in Victoria and Brisbane, Australia were randomized to a telephone-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy and risk-reduction programme or usual medical care. Mixed-model repeated measurements (MMRM) analysis was applied with results expressed as estimated marginal mean changes in depression and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes by group.
Results
After 12 months, treatment effects were observed for those with major depressive disorder (MDD) for PHQ-9 depression (MoodCare: mean score: 6.5; 95% CI: 4.9–8.0 versus UC: 9.3; 95% CI: 7.7–10.9, p = 0.012)) and SF-12 mental health scores (MoodCare: 42.5; 95% CI: 39.8–45.2 versus UC: 36.8; 95% CI: 34.1–39.6, p = 0.005). No beneficial treatment effects were observed in those with no MDD at baseline.
Conclusion
After 12 months, MoodCare was superior to UC for improving mental health outcomes for those with a clinical diagnosis of major depression. Our findings support the implementation of depression-based interventions for cardiac patients with a clinical diagnosis of depression and provide evidence of longer term efficacy to one year.
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