New mental health treatment for heart disease patients to be evaluated for national roll out
The treatment being evaluated for roll out is featured in the ‘PATHWAY’ study, led by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) and The University of Manchester (UoM), and is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
The ‘PATHWAY’ study recently found that heart disease patients that took part in Group Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) became significantly less anxious and depressed.
MCT is a new therapy which helps people to manage worries and low mood by reducing unhelpful styles of thinking, such as rumination (dwelling on the past) and worry (concerns about the future). It helps people to discover new and more helpful ways to react to negative or distressing thoughts. Group MCT is delivered in a group setting, with people who have been through similar experiences.
After a serious heart problem, such as a heart attack or open-heart surgery, it is common to develop mental health problems; and around one-third of patients experience anxiety and/or depression. Research shows that this type of distress reduces quality of life, and increases the risk of further heart problems and even death.
Group MCT was embedded into the package of support which is routinely offered to heart disease patients following an event such as a heart attack or open-heart surgery, to improve their health, quality of life, and reduce the risk of further problems with their heart. Current support includes exercise and education, but until now there has not been a component designed specifically to improve mental health.
Overall, the study found that there was an improvement in the mental health of one in three heart patients who received the therapy as part of their heart disease recovery support package.
The evaluation of roll out of the ‘PATHWAY’ study nationally will take place from the beginning of January 2022.
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