A study of self-help cognitive behavioural therapy for depression in adults with pulmonary hypertension was recently conducted by a group of researchers and published in the British Journal of Health Psychology. Using a randomized controlled trial design with a wait-list control group, 68 adults reporting depressive symptoms were recruited from global pulmonary hypertension associations. The 4-week unguided intervention significantly reduced depression and improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL), with medium effect sizes. However, no significant changes were found in anxiety, fatigue, or other secondary outcomes.
The self-help cognitive behavioural therapy intervention was found to be acceptable and feasible, with participants noting benefits such as increased motivation and better understanding of depression. The results support scalable delivery of this therapy for depression in the pulmonary hypertension population.
Read full article at this link on the British Journal of Health Psychology.
Citation
Stark ASL, Rawlings GH, Gregory JD, Armstrong I, Simmonds-Buckley M, Thompson AR. A randomized controlled trial of self-help cognitive behavioural therapy for depression in adults with pulmonary hypertension. Br J Health Psychol. 2025 Sep;30(3):e12800. doi: 10.1111/bjhp.12800. PMID: 40501181.
