The healing heart – a review of psychological treatments for cardiac patients Dr. Wolfgang Linden and colleagues from the University of British Columbia Department of Psychology report on a review of 43 randomized trials of the effectiveness of psychological treatment for cardiac patients. They found that treatment beginning at least two months after a cardiac event showed greater mortality benefits then treatments right after the event and that decreased death rates occurred even though patients still reported experiencing negative affect. Dr. Linden concludes, Mortality benefits due to PT (psychological treatment) were achieved despite small concomitant changes in negative affect. PT of cardiac patients reduces mortality and event recurrence The timing for the initiation of PT may be a critical mediating variable for mortality outcomes. European Heart Journal 2007, 28(24), 2972-2984