Preventive psychosocial interventions moderately reduced depressive symptoms (d=0.474) and anxiety symptoms (d=0.333) post-intervention compared to control in older adults.
Meta-Analysis (n=5,517)
Do preventive psychosocial interventions reduce depressive and anxiety symptoms in older adults with subclinical symptoms?
Preventive psychosocial interventions effectively reduce subclinical depressive and anxiety symptoms in older adults, highlighting their value in community settings.
Effect estimate: Cohen's d 0.474
= -0.205) compared to control. No significant differences were found between intervention types or control conditions. Younger participants experienced greater reductions in depressive symptoms from pre-to-post-intervention and at follow-up, and in anxiety symptoms from pre-to-post-intervention only. Multiverse analyses showed that intervention effects generalized across numerous variables, thus indicating a remarkable robustness of the findings. Our findings demonstrate that it is important to implement psychosocial interventions in community settings, regardless of intervention type, to protect the elderly against CMDs.
Saldivia et al. (Thu,) conducted a meta-analysis in Subclinical depressive and anxiety symptoms (n=5,517). Preventive psychosocial interventions vs. Control (treatment as usual, waitlist, active comparator, or nonspecific control) was evaluated on Reduction in depressive symptoms post-intervention (Cohen's d 0.474). Preventive psychosocial interventions moderately reduced depressive symptoms (d=0.474) and anxiety symptoms (d=0.333) post-intervention compared to control in older adults.