Face-to-Face and Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Patients with Heart Failure: an Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses

Purpose of review The present study aims to provide an up-to-date umbrella review of existing meta-analyses of randomized control trials (RCT) of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) among patients with heart failure (HF). Recent findings The umbrella review covered five meta-analyses published in the past five years with 18 primary studies (conducted between 2010 and 2022) of 1,687 non-duplicated patients aged 51.63 to 77.40. Primary studies originated from the USA, Sweden, Netherlands, China, Iran, and Philippines. Common benefits of CBT included depressive symptoms (89%), quality of life (56%), anxiety symptoms (39%), self-care (33%), 6-minute walk distance (33%), and health status (17%). Evidence varied depending on the timepoint of follow-up assessment and the specific measurement used to evaluate the outcome. No meta-analyses pooled the effect sizes for iCBT and analyzed the specific therapeutic elements in CBT. No meta-regression was performed. Summary Individual participant data meta-analyses with meta-regression should be performed to identify common moderators and factors that can influence treatment adherence. The current research would also benefit from additional RCT evidence focusing specifically on iCBT for patients with HF.