Impact of Stress Management Training After Cardiac Transplantation

Impact of Stress Management Training on Quality of Life and Cardiac Post-transplantation Complications in a Controlled Multicentric Comparative Study.

In spite of major medical advances in heart transplant patients, psychiatric comorbidity remains very high in pre-and post-transplant phases. Anxiety and depression are especially frequent. They impact significantly morbidity and mortality. Especially because they are associated with poor therapeutic adherence and risks of infection and rejection. The inability to make beneficial therapeutic choice can be explained by the negative perception of events, associated with anxio-depressive disorders. This results in an important deterioration in quality of life of patients.

The investigators assume that better management of emotions might reduce the stress of waiting situation and its psychopathological and somatic consequences pre-and post-transplant.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Men and women on the cardiac transplantation waiting list
• Patients aged 18 years and older
• Signed written informed consent
• Patients under the social security
• Patients with a somatic condition allowing travels
• Patients mastering the French language
• Class II or III NYHA patients

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients minor or under protection measures
• Patient who have not signed written informed consent
• Patients not mastering the French language
• Patients with psychiatric illness characterized by the axis 1 of DSM IV R
• Patients receiving a psychotherapy or with a psychiatric care
• class IV NYHA patients