Xiaoxia Wang1, Xiaoyan Zhou2, Hui Yang2. 1. Army Medical University, 30 # Gaotanyan Main Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, CN. 2. Mental Health Center of Chongqing, Chongqing, CN.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Aging is a social concern. The increased incidence of depression in Chinese older populations poses a challenge to our health care system. Depressed older adults often suffer from lack of motivation. Evidence-based guided self-help behavioral activation (BA) treatment is effective in reducing anhedonia and amotivation symptoms, however the efficacy of guided self-help BA in elderly depressed patients are unknown yet. OBJECTIVE: So the current study aim to pilot the self-help guided intervention for the treatment of depression in elderly patients. METHODS: A pilot randomized controlled trial with 30 elderly inpatients with major depressive disorder will be conducted. Participants attending clinical psychological clinics at Mental Health Center of Chongqing will be randomized to receive guided self-help BA intervention or to a 6-week waiting list control. Participants in the treatment group will receive 6 sessions of guided self-help BA intervention delivered over the telephone. The waiting list control group will receive the intervention after a waiting period of 6 weeks. Exclusion criteria are limited to those at significant risk of harm to self or others, the presence of primary mental health disorder other than depression or intellectual disability at a level meaning potential participants would be unable to access the intervention. The study has ethical approval from the Chinese Research Ethics Committee. Our hypothesis is that guided self-help BA will effective when compared with the waiting-list intervention. RESULTS: Effects of the treatment were observed on three outcomes domains: (1) clinical outcomes (symptom severity, recovery rates); (2) process variables (patient satisfaction, attendance, dropout); and (3) economic outcomes (cost and resource use). We also examine mediators of outcomes in terms of patient variables (behavioral activation/inhibition motivation). Results will be disseminated to patients, the wider public, clinicians and researchers through publication in journals and presentation at conferences. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to investigate guided self-help interventions for China geriatric depressed patients, a group which is currently under-represented in mental health research. The intervention is modular and adapted from an empirically supported behavioral activation treatment for depression (BATD). The generalizability and broad inclusion criteria are strengths but may also lead to some weaknesses. CLINICALTRIAL: ChiCTR1900026066.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Aging is a social concern. The increased incidence of depression in Chinese older populations poses a challenge to our health care system. Depressed older adults often suffer from lack of motivation. Evidence-based guided self-help behavioral activation (BA) treatment is effective in reducing anhedonia and amotivation symptoms, however the efficacy of guided self-help BA in elderly depressedpatients are unknown yet. OBJECTIVE: So the current study aim to pilot the self-help guided intervention for the treatment of depression in elderly patients. METHODS: A pilot randomized controlled trial with 30 elderly inpatients with major depressive disorder will be conducted. Participants attending clinical psychological clinics at Mental Health Center of Chongqing will be randomized to receive guided self-help BA intervention or to a 6-week waiting list control. Participants in the treatment group will receive 6 sessions of guided self-help BA intervention delivered over the telephone. The waiting list control group will receive the intervention after a waiting period of 6 weeks. Exclusion criteria are limited to those at significant risk of harm to self or others, the presence of primary mental health disorder other than depression or intellectual disability at a level meaning potential participants would be unable to access the intervention. The study has ethical approval from the Chinese Research Ethics Committee. Our hypothesis is that guided self-help BA will effective when compared with the waiting-list intervention. RESULTS: Effects of the treatment were observed on three outcomes domains: (1) clinical outcomes (symptom severity, recovery rates); (2) process variables (patient satisfaction, attendance, dropout); and (3) economic outcomes (cost and resource use). We also examine mediators of outcomes in terms of patient variables (behavioral activation/inhibition motivation). Results will be disseminated to patients, the wider public, clinicians and researchers through publication in journals and presentation at conferences. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to investigate guided self-help interventions for China geriatric depressedpatients, a group which is currently under-represented in mental health research. The intervention is modular and adapted from an empirically supported behavioral activation treatment for depression (BATD). The generalizability and broad inclusion criteria are strengths but may also lead to some weaknesses. CLINICALTRIAL: ChiCTR1900026066.