A preliminary evaluation of a 6 week Anxiety Management Group for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Abstract

Rationale, aims and objectives: Anxiety associated with breathlessness occurs at a high rate in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), yet few clinical studies have examined the usefulness of psychological intervention to manage anxiety in this population. To address this issue a six week anxiety management group for patients with COPD was established in a UK hospital. This article describes an evaluation of the group. The purpose of evaluation was to obtain feedback from patients (n=12) about the usefulness of the group to manage anxiety associated with breathlessness.Method: Evaluation data included a self-devised audit tool, the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), patient self report and an evaluation form.Results: COPD patients are often frightened by their experience of breathlessness. The anxiety management group helped patients understand the link between breathlessness and anxiety. They also reported gains in their psychological knowledge of anxiety, maintaining factors and management strategies.Conclusions: The evaluation has shown that clinical care of COPD patients can be enhanced through psychological and patient centred interventions. Clinical practice can be improved further by seeking ways to maximise patient attendance and routinely consulting with service users about aspects of their care.