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QUESTION: Can psychoeducational programmes, such as stress management and health education, improve cardiac outcomes and physical health in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD)?
Data sources
Studies were identified by searching Medline and PsycLIT (1974 to 1998) and by scanning bibliographies of relevant articles.
Study selection
Studies were selected if they involved patients who had had a cardiac event 6 months before treatment and if the study design was a randomised controlled trial (RCT) or quasi-randomised trial. Studies reporting effects on emotional distress were included only if effects on risk factors, related behaviours, morbidity, or cardiac mortality were also reported. Quasi-randomised trials were included only if samples were stratified or matched pairwise or if patients from the same hospital were allocated by using time periods.
Data extraction
2 reviewers independently extracted data on …