Comparison of the Effectiveness of Short-Term Psychodynamic Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Blood Pressure in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease in Hamedan City

Purpose: The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of short-term psychodynamic therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing blood pressure among patients with coronary artery disease in Hamedan. Methods and Materials: This applied research employed a quasi-experimental design using a pretest-posttest model with two experimental groups and one control group. The study population included patients aged 35–55 with confirmed coronary artery disease, referred to Farshchian Hospital in 2024. Forty-five eligible participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to either the short-term psychodynamic therapy group, the cognitive behavioral therapy group, or the control group. The interventions lasted for 90 days and were delivered in 12 structured group sessions. Blood pressure was measured before and after the intervention using a calibrated digital sphygmomanometer. Data were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and Bonferroni post hoc tests in SPSS version 25. Findings: ANCOVA results revealed a significant effect of group membership on post-test blood pressure scores after controlling for pre-test values (F = 24.040, p = 0.001, η² = 0.478), indicating that the type of intervention had a substantial impact. Bonferroni post hoc analysis showed that both intervention groups experienced significant reductions in blood pressure compared to the control group (psychodynamic therapy vs. control: Mean Difference = -1.245, p = 0.001; cognitive behavioral therapy vs. control: Mean Difference = -2.004, p = 0.001). Moreover, the cognitive behavioral therapy group demonstrated a significantly greater reduction compared to the psychodynamic therapy group (Mean Difference = -0.759, p = 0.014). Conclusion: Both short-term psychodynamic therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy were effective in reducing blood pressure in patients with coronary artery disease, with cognitive behavioral therapy showing superior results. These findings support the integration of psychological therapies into cardiovascular disease management.