Does an outreaching stepped care program reduce depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults? A randomized implementation trial.

Objectives: To examine the effects of an outreaching stepped care intervention program (Lust for Life) compared with usual care on depressive symptoms in older adults living in the community.

Design: Randomized clinical implementation trial.

Setting: 18 general practices and a home care organization in the Netherlands.

Pulling out all the stops: what motivates 65+ year olds with depressive symptoms to participate in an outreaching preference-led intervention programme?

Objectives: Many older adults have significant depressive symptoms but few people access care for these. This study explores which personal, clinical and need factors facilitate or hinder acceptance of a new outreaching preference-led intervention programme.

Methods: From a sample of 9661 community-dwelling 65+ year olds, 244 persons with depressive symptoms according to the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were included.

Implementing an outreaching, preference-led stepped care intervention programme to reduce late life depressive symptoms: results of a mixed-methods study.

Background: Depressive symptoms are highly prevalent in old age, but they remain mostly untreated. Several clinical trials have shown promising results in preventing or reducing depressive symptoms. However, it is not clear how robust these effects are in the real world of day-to-day care.

"Being all alone makes me sad": loneliness in older adults with depressive symptoms.

Background: The consequences of co-occurring persistent loneliness and late life depression are yet unknown. The aim of this study was to get a deeper insight into the mental health consequences of loneliness in older persons with depressive symptoms and their perspectives of emotional distress by using a mixed-methods study design.

Methods: Two hundred and forty nine community-dwelling older persons with depressive symptoms according to the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (≥6) were included.

Improvement in personal meaning mediates the effects of a life review intervention on depressive symptoms in a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of a life review intervention on personal meaning in life and the mediating effect of personal meaning on depressive symptoms as the primary outcome of this form of indicated prevention.

Design And Methods: A multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted with one group of older adults obtaining life review (N = 83) and the other watching a video about the art of growing older (N = 88). Measurements took place before and after the intervention as well as 6 months later at follow-up.