Key result
Post-discharge psychological interventions are linked to modest improvements in well-being and quality of life.
Why the study?
Adult survivors of cardiac arrest with favourable neurological recovery often experience persistent cognitive and psychological difficulties, but evidence to support specific post-discharge interventions is limited.
Do structured psychological and cognitive support interventions improve psychological well-being and quality of life in adult cardiac arrest survivors with favourable neurological recovery?
Systematic Review (n=352)
Do structured psychological and cognitive support interventions improve psychological well-being and quality of life in adult cardiac arrest survivors with favourable neurological recovery?
Post-discharge psychological and cognitive interventions for cardiac arrest survivors are feasible and may offer modest psychological benefits, though evidence remains limited by small, heterogeneous studies.
May support offering feasible post-discharge interventions; leaves open efficacy in larger randomized trials.
Background: Adult survivors of cardiac arrest (CA) with favourable neurological recovery often experience persistent cognitive and psychological difficulties that impact quality of life and functional independence. However, post-discharge interventions remain heterogeneous, and evidence to support the prioritisation and implementation of specific cognitive and psychological interventions is limited. Objective: To systematically review the evidence on psychological and cognitive support interventions delivered after hospital discharge in adult CA survivors with good neurological recovery. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines (PROSPERO CRD420251267160). Eligible studies included adults surviving CA with favourable neurological recovery who received structured post-discharge interventions. Outcomes were assessed across multiple domains, including: psychological well-being; cognitive performance; functional status and participation; health-related and global quality of life; and feasibility and implementation. Results: = 352 survivors) were included: two randomised controlled trials, two feasibility/pre-post studies, one single-case experimental design, and one process evaluation. Interventions varied in content and delivery (face-to-face, remote, home-based) and included nurse-led follow-up, psychotherapy, cognitive rehabilitation, and mindfulness-based strategies. Small improvements were observed in anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and selected health-related quality-of-life domains, whereas cognitive, functional, and participation in daily and social activities showed limited or short-term gains in small uncontrolled studies. Interventions were feasible and well-tolerated. Conclusions: Post-discharge psychological and cognitive interventions are feasible and associated with modest improvements in psychological well-being and selected quality-of-life domains. Further rigorous research using standardised outcomes is needed.
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Ristagno et al. (2026) conducted a systematic review in Cardiac arrest survivors with favourable neurological recovery (n=352). Structured psychological and cognitive support interventions vs. Usual care, no intervention, or alternative interventions was evaluated on Psychological well-being, cognitive performance, functional status, and quality of life. Post-discharge psychological and cognitive interventions are feasible and associated with modest improvements in psychological well-being and selected quality-of-life domains.
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