Treating Depression and Anxiety in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Pathway

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) services aim to improve heart disease patients' health and quality of life, and reduce the risk of further cardiac events. Depression and anxiety (distress) are common among CR patients: 37% of patents have significant anxiety and/or depressive symptoms. Distressed patients are at greater risk of death, further cardiac events and poorer quality of life than those without distress and they use more healthcare. Available drug and psychological treatments have only small effects on distress and quality of life, and no effects on physical health. Therefore, it is essential that more effective treatments for depression and anxiety are integrated into CR services. Extensive evidence shows that a particular style of thinking dominated by rumination (dwelling on the past) and worry maintains emotional distress. A psychological intervention (metacognitive therapy) that reduces this style of thinking alleviates depression and anxiety in mental health settings. The investigators aim to conduct a pilot trial of the group intervention and in work stream 2 the investigators will undertake a full-scale trial to evaluate whether adding the group intervention to standard CR is more effective at alleviating anxiety and depression than standard CR alone.