Brief group therapy significantly reduced follow-up coronary morbidity and mortality and increased return to work percentages compared to control in post-myocardial infarction patients.
RCT (n=61)
Randomly allocated
Does brief group therapy reduce coronary morbidity and mortality and improve return to work in patients surviving their first myocardial infarction?
Brief group therapy in post-MI rehabilitation significantly reduces long-term coronary morbidity and mortality and improves return-to-work rates, likely driven by supportive rather than educational aspects.
A trial of brief group therapy as part of a rehabilitation program for postmyocardial infarction (MI) patients was carried out. Forty-four patients surviving their first MI were randomly allocated to either group therapy or control group status and were followed over 4 years. An additional group of 17 patients were referred for post-MI group therapy sessions after the termination of the controlled experiment and were followed for 3 years. Patients who received group therapy had significantly less follow-up coronary morbidity and mortality, and returned to work at significant higher percentages than control patients. Although neither group therapy nor control group patients meaningfully altered conventional coronary risk factors, group therapy patients (in the controlled trial) successfully altered selected coronary-prone behaviors. Educational information regarding the physiological and psychological aspects of coronary heart disease, presented in the group therapy sessions, was forgotten over follow-up. It is concluded that the supportive aspects of the group therapy experience played the most important role in determining the rehabilitation advantages seen for treatment patients.
Rahe et al. (Tue,) conducted a rct in Post-myocardial infarction (MI) (n=61). Brief group therapy vs. Control group was evaluated on Coronary morbidity and mortality, and return to work. Brief group therapy significantly reduced follow-up coronary morbidity and mortality and increased return to work percentages compared to control in post-myocardial infarction patients.