Effect of Problem Solving Therapy Versus Supportive Management in Older Adults with Low Back Pain and Depression While on Antidepressant Pharmacotherapy

In late-life, depression and low-back pain: 1) are risk factors for the other's onset; 2) interfere with each others' treatment response; 3) mutually amplify disability; and 4) mutually slow rates of remission.We tested a stepped care intervention using venlafaxine with and without Problem Solving Therapy for Depression and Pain (PST-DP).While PST-DP is not needed to augment response, over the course of 20 weeks, up to 60% of patients have improvement in both depression and pain when treated with algorithmic antidepressant pharmacotherapy.
Source: The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Tags: Regular Research Articles Source Type: research