Talking treatments (also called psychological therapies or psychotherapy) are mental health interventions in which improvement in a person’s symptoms and wellbeing is achieved through structured conversation with a trained therapist or counsellor, rather than (or as well as) medication. They are based on the principle that thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and mental health are interconnected, and that therapeutic conversations can help people develop insight, change unhelpful patterns, and build coping strategies.
After cardiac arrest, talking treatments are an important component of recovery for many survivors and their families. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and adjustment disorder are common following cardiac arrest, and talking treatments are first-line or co-first-line recommended treatments for these conditions. Evidence-based talking treatments include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for depression and anxiety, and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) for PTSD.
Access to talking treatments in England is available through NHS Talking Therapies (formerly IAPT), which offers self-referral or GP referral routes. Some cardiac arrest survivors benefit from cardiac psychology services (specialist psychological support embedded within cardiac rehabilitation or heart failure services) or from private practitioners experienced in cardiac trauma.
Peer support (conversations with others who have lived experience of cardiac arrest) is a complementary form of talking support that many survivors find invaluable alongside professional therapy. SCA UK facilitates peer support connections, recognising that both professional and peer forms of talking support have important roles in recovery.