Peer-Supported Problem-Solving May Help Older Rural Adults With Depression

Older adults who completed 12 weeks of self-guided problem-solving therapy (PST) supported by trained peer volunteers had significant and lasting improvements in their depression scores, according to areport inPsychiatric Services in Advance. PST is a psychotherapy that teaches people to generate realistic solutions to life problems that contribute to depression.“PST with a clinician should be considered a preferred treatment option when resources are available,” wrote Brooke Hollister, Ph.D., at the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues. However, self-guided-PST supported by trained peer counselors “may be an appropriate and accepta ble alternative to [clinician-managed]-PST (or other evidence-based interventions) for older adults who live in rural areas and experience barriers to access because of stigma, poor transportation options, or a lack of available clinicians and services.”A total of 105 rural Californians aged 60 or older who had moderate to severe unipolar depression but did not have psychotic depression, a high suicide risk, or other major psychiatric disorders participated in the study. Eighty-five participants received clinician-managed PST with specially trained master ’s level therapists or social workers, while the remaining 20 embarked on self-guided PST supported by peers who had also received special training. Both groups completed the PST sessions in their homes.Depression levels were assessed with the Hamilton Depression Rati...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: depression older adults peer support problem solving therapy Psychiatric Services psychotherapy rural self-guided learning Source Type: research