Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to reduce anxiety and depression in AF
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to reduce anxiety and depression in patients with atrial fibrillation (CBT-AF)
IRAS ID
200319
Contact name
Deirdre Lane
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 6 months, 3 days
Research summary
All patients diagnosed with an irregular heart rhythm, called atrial fibrillation, within the last 12 months, from 64 general practices in the West Midlands and from AF clinics at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, will be invited to take part in this study. If they agree, a set of questionnaires will be sent to complete, including one on anxiety and one on depression. Patients who are found to be anxious and/or depressed using these questionnaires will be randomly allocated to receive either cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) or usual care (referral to psychological services decided by the patient’s GP). Usual care could be guided self-help CBT or talking therapy or individual/group CBT sessions. Patients in both the bespoke CBT intervention group and usual care will attend up to 16 therapy sessions. All patients in the CBT group will complete the anxiety and depression questionnaires at each therapy session and again 6- and 12-months later. Patients in the usual care group will complete the questionnaire package at 6 and 12-months only. The main aim of the study is to investigate whether or not the new CBT intervention helps to reduce anxiety and/or depression among patients with atrial fibrillation compared to people who receive usual care. We also want to discover if the CBT treatment helps to improve a patients’ quality of life, reduces their AF-symptoms and means that they see their GP or attend the hospital less often than those receiving usual care . We will also ask if patients were satisfied with the new CBT intervention and interview some patients to discuss what they felt was useful or unhelpful about the new CBT treatment and their suggestions for changes. We will also record how much the new CBT intervention and usual care costs to see if the new CBT is cost-effective.
REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/WM/0502
Date of REC Opinion
2 Feb 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion