PSYCHOSOCIAL TREATMENT OF THE GEROPSYCHIATRIC PATIENT.

Although clinicians believe strongly in the efficacy of various psychotherapeutic approaches to the geropsychiatric patient, to date there have been relatively few studies to validate these claims. We will selectively review some of the more clinically relevant studies concerning individual psychodynamic, cognitive, and behavioral psychotherapy, focusing on treatment of the depressed geriatric patient. Also reviewed are studies about the cost-effectiveness of psychiatric intervention, as well as innovative hospital-based treatment modalities. Although progress has been made, Rechtschaffenߣs succinct summary of the psychotherapy literature in 1959 is still pertinent today; ‘As is true for psychotherapy as a whole, systematic, controlled studies of the effectiveness of various treatments of older people are still lacking. Ultimately, there must be empirical grounds for predicting which type of treatment will work best for which type of patient’ (Rechtschaffen, 1959). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]