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Los Angeles, CA – A groundbreaking study by investigators from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai sheds light on a new avenue for treating symptoms of depression in patients with heart failure. The research reveals that behavioral activation therapy is just as effective as antidepressant medications in alleviating depression in this patient population.
Heart failure, a condition affecting nearly 6 million adults in the United States, often coexists with depression in approximately 50% of patients. Past studies have highlighted the detrimental impact of depression on heart failure patients, leading to lower cardiac function, increased emergency department visits, hospital admissions, caregiver burden, and reduced quality of life.
Published in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Network Open, the study tracked over 400 patients for a year. Half of the participants received antidepressant medication management, while the other half engaged in behavioral activation psychotherapy, an evidence-based treatment for depression.
“The most important finding here is that patients experiencing depression have a choice in terms of their treatment between therapy or medications,” said Dr. Waguih W. IsHak, Vice Chair of Education and Research in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai and the study’s first author. “Patients who prefer not to be on medication can do behavioral activation therapy with similar results.”
Both treatment groups exhibited a more than 50% reduction in the severity of depressive symptoms, with no statistically significant difference between the effectiveness of the two methods.
Behavioral activation therapy involved working with a therapist to create a personalized list of activities that brought joy and fulfillment to each patient. These activities, ranging from social engagements to leisurely walks and volunteering, were incorporated into the patient’s routine over a 12-week period.
In addition to the primary outcome of depression symptom reduction, patients who underwent psychotherapy intervention showed slight improvements in physical and mental health-related quality of life. Notably, they experienced fewer emergency department visits and spent fewer days hospitalized compared to the group receiving antidepressant medications.
Dr. Itai Danovitch, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai and a study co-author, emphasized the real-world implications of the research. “Integrating psychiatric treatment into medical care is an effective way to reduce stigma, increase access, and improve outcomes for people who struggle with mental health problems alongside their chronic medical conditions,” said Dr. Danovitch.
As the study highlights the feasibility and effectiveness of incorporating psychiatric treatment into specialty medical care, it advocates for increased screening of psychiatric conditions and improved access to high-quality mental health care for patients dealing with chronic medical conditions.
The study was funded by the Patient-Centered Outcome Research Institute (PCORI) and signifies a significant step toward offering personalized and effective mental health care options for individuals facing heart failure and depression.
