The purpose of the PROTeCD(Psychotherapeutic Resource-Orientated Treatment for Cardiac Patients with Depression)-study was to develop and to evaluate a brief psychotherapeutic intervention for rehabilitation in-patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and depressive disorders. In three cardiac rehabilitation hospitals all patients were screened for mental distress at admission. Patients generally stay for 3 to 4 weeks before being referred to outpatient care.

Method: Those patients with elevated distress were interviewed for mental disorders and took part in the baseline-assessment. Patients diagnosed with a depressive disorder at baseline were randomised into the intervention or the usual care group. Efficacy was assessed at discharge from hospital (short-term). 59 subjects with CHD and co-morbid depressive disorder were randomised into the trial - 27 into the intervention group (IG) and 32 into the usual care group (UC). Patients in the intervention group received 4 to 6 individual psychotherapeutic sessions of 50 minutes each, including patient education and cognitive-behavioural treatment of depression. Outcome measures were depressive and anxiety symptoms in self report and interview.

Results: There was no significant difference between intervention and usual care group in this short-term reduction of depressive symptoms, mental distress and anxiety. However, at discharge the patients still suffer from an increased level of distress compared to the recommended cut off scores of the assessment scales.

Conclusion: Multimodal inpatient rehabilitation reduces depressive and anxiety symptoms in depressed CHD patients in short term independently of an additional psychotherapeutic intervention.