Heart attack respite care 'could be key for mental health'

Respite care at a spiritual retreat could be key to the recovery and mental health of heart patients.

Heart patients who attended a four-day retreat to undertake a range of therapies including drumming, journal writing and outdoor activities saw an immediate improvement in their depression, according to researchers at the University of Michigan.

Commenting on the study, which is published in Explore: the Journal of Science and Healing, lead author Sara Warber suggested that such respite can "jumpstart" and maintain "psycho-spiritual well-being".

She added: "These types of interventions may be of particular interest to patients who do not want to take antidepressants for the depression symptoms that often accompany coronary heart disease and heart attack."

Tackling depression prior to a heart attack may be equally important to treatment post-attack.

Earlier this year, the American Heart Association pledged a grant to Indiana University-Purdue University School of Science to evaluate pre-heart attach treatment for depression, in a bid to understand whether this can reduce dysfunction in arteries.

Set in beautiful countryside locations, many of Barchester homes are ideal destinations for respite stays.