Effects of a health advocacy, counselling, and activation programme on depressive symptoms in older coronary heart disease patients

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the effects of a health advocacy, counselling, and activation programme on depressive symptoms among older coronary heart disease (CHD) patients.

Methods: A randomised, controlled intervention study in Lieto, South-western Finland. Older (65 years and older) patients with CHD were randomly divided into an intervention group (IG) (n = 116) and a control group (CG) (n = 106). Outcome measures comprised changes in depressive symptoms (Zung Self-rating Depression Scale, ZSDS).

Results: Depressive symptoms tended to decrease in IG and to increase in CG among men scoring 45 ZSDS sum points or more at baseline. The differences of the changes between IG and CG were significant in favour of IG. No similar changes were found among women.

Conclusions: A health advocacy, counselling, and activation programme aimed to increase knowledge about CHD, social activities, contacts, roles, support, and exercising was effective in reducing depressive symptoms among male CHD patients suffering from a moderate or high amount of depressive symptoms.