Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Anxiety in Heart Failure: A Review Review

Abstract

Introduction. Anxiety is common among patients with heart failure (HF) and may contribute to adverse health outcomes, yet treatment approaches remain underexplored. The purpose of this narrative literature review is to evaluate and synthesize the current evidence on non-pharmacological interventions for anxiety in individuals with HF, with particular attention to the methodological quality and consistency of findings across studies.

Methods. This review synthesized 13 studies between 2015 and 2025 evaluating non-pharmacological interventions for managing anxiety in individuals with HF. Studies were retrieved from the CINAHL Complete (EBSCO host) database. The search strategy used keywords including anxiety, heart failure, treatment, intervention, therapy, management, and rehabilitation. Results were limited to peer-reviewed studies published in the English language.

Results. Most of the interventions for anxiety in patients with HF incorporated cognitive-behavioral strategies (n = 4) or exercise (n = 4). Findings suggest that cognitive-behavioral therapy, structured physical exercise, palliative care, education, and music therapy show promise in reducing anxiety symptoms; however, effects vary depending on intervention type, design, duration, delivery format, and patient characteristics.

Conclusions. The results underscore the need for more high-quality research, including randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes, to better evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for individuals with HF. Additionally, greater standardization in HF classification and anxiety measurement is essential to enhance comparability across studies and to identify the most effective and feasible interventions for anxiety among HF patients.