At a glance
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Primary Prevention of Major Depression in Later Life
In Brief
A clinical study evaluating Problem Solving Therapy and Dietary Education for Depression. Completed, enrolled 306 participants across 2 sites.
Detailed Summary
The Institute of Medicine has called for studies of "indicated" preventive interventions to reduce the incidence of mental illness in persons already symptomatic but not yet presenting with fully developed clinical syndromes. The investigators' Advanced Center for Interventions and Services Research in Late Life Mood Disorders has embraced the development and testing of preventive interventions as one of its key objectives. The investigators propose to test the following hypotheses related to primary prevention of major depressive episodes in old age, focusing on elderly patients who have symptoms of emotional distress but who are not yet presenting with the full syndrome of a major depressive episode. Hypothesis 1: Problem solving therapy (PST) will be superior to an attention-only control (dietary education) in lowering the two-year incidence of episodes of syndromal major depression in already symptomatic elderly primary care patients. Hypothesis 2: PST will also prevent higher levels of depressive symptoms and associated disabilities, over a two-year period of follow-up.
Study Details
Timeline
Interventions
6 to 8 Problem Solving Therapy sessions over the course of 6 to 16 weeks followed by 3 booster PST sessions over the course of 2 years
6 to 8 Diet Education sessions over the course of 6 to 16 weeks followed by 3 booster Diet Education sessions over the course of 2 years