Background: Patients with Heart Failure are at greater risk for developing mental disorders (e.g. depression and anxiety) which can lead to limitations in the professional, family and social tasks resulting in dependency on others. Cognitive therapy is commonly used to treat a wide range of mental disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of cognitive therapy on mental health in the HF patients.

Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial study, 66 patients with HF were randomly divided into two groups using continuous sampling in Shahid-Beheshti hospital during 2012-2013. The intervention group received 8 sessions of cognitive therapy within 1 month and the control group only received conventional cardiac care. Data were collected using the Goldberg Health Questionnaire and then were analyzed.

Results: Results showed no significant difference between the two groups in mental health, but a significant difference was found in mental health between the intervention (51.56±5.41) and control (62.23±9.32) groups (P<0.0001). Significant difference was found between mental health before (58.16±10.99) and after (51.56±5.41) the cognitive therapy in the intervention group (P= 0.003), while no significant difference was found in mental health in the control group (P=0.27).

Conclusion: Cognitive therapy can improve mental health of the patients with HF. So, it is recommended as a complementary treatment, along with other medical care provided by nurses, for these patients.