Psychosocial treatments were reliably more effective than no-treatment on self-rated and clinician-rated measures of depression among older adults.
Meta-Analysis
Do psychosocial treatments improve self-rated and clinician-rated measures of depression in older adults?
Psychosocial treatments are effective in reducing depression severity in older adults across varying levels of depression.
A meta-analysis of 17 studies examined the efficacy of psychosocial treatments for depression among older adults. Studies were included only if a comparison was made to a control condition (no-, delayed-, or placebo-treatment) or another psychosocial intervention. Results indicated that treatments were reliably more effective than no-treatment on self-rated and clinician-rated measures of depression. Effect sizes for studies involving participants with major depression disorder were also reliably different from zero, as were effect sizes from studies involving participants with less severe levels of depression. These findings compare favorably with several other quantitative reviews of treatments for depression. Results suggest more balanced presentations of the potential benefits of psychosocial interventions are warranted.
Scogin et al. (Sat,) conducted a meta-analysis in Geriatric depression. Psychosocial treatments vs. Control condition (no-, delayed-, or placebo-treatment) or another psychosocial intervention was evaluated on Self-rated and clinician-rated measures of depression. Psychosocial treatments were reliably more effective than no-treatment on self-rated and clinician-rated measures of depression among older adults.
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