The longer patients suffer from COPD, the more likely
they are to feel lonely, fearful, anxious, and depressed.
Systematic education and strict management can improve their confidence and increase their awareness of COPD. Previous studies have shown that both a one-time intensive 2-h session of cognitive behavioral therapy and an 8-week intervention significantly relieved the symptoms of depression and anxiety. This improvement was markedly greater than that achieved with education alone. Therefore, both health education and psychological counseling were included in our program. COPD awareness was increased and anxiety and depression rates were decreased significantly at the end of our study.