Title | Lay-delivered behavioral activation for depressed senior center clients: Pilot RCT. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2019 |
Authors | Raue PJ, Sirey JAnne, Dawson A, Berman J, Bruce ML |
Journal | Int J Geriatr Psychiatry |
Volume | 34 |
Issue | 11 |
Pagination | 1715-1723 |
Date Published | 2019 11 |
ISSN | 1099-1166 |
Keywords | Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Behavior Therapy, Depressive Disorder, Female, Health Promotion, Health Services for the Aged, Humans, Male, Mental Health Services, Middle Aged, Pilot Projects, Senior Centers |
Abstract | OBJECTIVE: We describe the development of a lay-delivered behavioral intervention ("Do More, Feel Better") for depressed senior center clients, and we present preliminary data from a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) on (a) the feasibility of training lay volunteers to fidelity and (b) the acceptability, impact, and safety of the intervention. METHODS: We trained 11 volunteers at two aging service settings in "Do More, Feel Better" and randomized 18 depressed clients to receive the intervention or referral to mental health services. RESULTS: Pilot data indicated that we can successfully train and certify 64% of older volunteers and that depressed clients receiving the intervention reported high levels of session attendance and satisfaction. While there were no significant differences in 12-week reduction in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores between groups, intervention clients showed an 8-point reduction in comparison with a 0-point reduction among referral clients. CONCLUSIONS: "Do More, Feel Better" has the potential of transferring evidence-based behavioral interventions to the hands of supervised lay volunteers and can address the insufficient workforce providing geriatric mental health services. |
DOI | 10.1002/gps.5186 |
Alternate Journal | Int J Geriatr Psychiatry |
PubMed ID | 31368583 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC6803033 |
Grant List | P30 MH085943 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States R34 MH111849 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States |