摘要
objective: to assess the effect of psychotherapy on levels of anxiety and depression, as well as on quality of life and exercise capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease enrolled in a pulmonary rehabilitation program. methods: a randomized, controlled, blind clinical trial was conducted involving 49 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. patients were randomized into three groups: those submitted to the complete pulmonary rehabilitation program, which included psychotherapy and an exercise regimen (group 1); those submitted to the program minus physical exercise (group 2); and those submitted to the program minus psychotherapy (group 3). the three groups underwent a 12-week treatment program. all patients were evaluated at baseline and at completion of the pulmonary rehabilitation program through four instruments: the beck anxiety inventory, beck depression inventory and st. george%26apos;s respiratory questionnaire were applied. the distance walked-weight product was also calculated. results: statistically significant absolute improvements in exercise capacity were found for groups 1 and 2, although not for group 3 (p = 0.007, p = 0.008 and p = 0.06, respectively). in groups 1 and 2, levels of anxiety and depressions were also significantly reduced (group 1: p = 0.0000 and p %26lt; 0.0003; group 2: p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0014), and quality of life was significantly improved (p = 0.0007 and p = 0.002, respectively). anxiety levels were also reduced in group 3 (p = 0.03), although levels of depression were not, and quality of life was unaffected. conclusion: psychotherapy sessions provided as part of a pulmonary rehabilitation program assist patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in coping with disease-related limitations by reducing behavioral symptoms, especially depression, thereby influencing exercise capacity and health-related quality of life.