The Thai Group Cognitive Behavior Therapy Intervention Program for Depressive Symptoms among Older Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Depression is a mental health problem worldwide, often a co-occurring condition with disabilities and contributes to a low quality of life and suicide. Older women are more likely to experience depression than older men and need specific interventions to reduce their depressive symptoms. This randomized controlled trial examined the effect of a group administered cognitive behavior therapy program for reducing depressive symptoms among older women. Sixty Thai older women living in the community, who met the inclusion criteria and presented at primary care units in Northern Thailand, were randomly assigned into either a group undertaking a cognitive behavior therapy program (n=30) or a usual care control condition (n=30). Depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Thai version at baseline, immediately after the time needed to complete The Thai Group CBT Intervention Program, and then at 1 and 3 months follow-up. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent sample t-test were used to test the program efficacy. Results indicated that the mean depression scores in the CBT condition at every point were significantly lower than at baseline and also statistically lower than those of the usual care condition after completing the program. Thus, The Thai Group CBT Intervention Program was found to be efficacious in reducing depression. Nurses should consider integrating this intervention for older persons with depression into primary care; however, further study is needed to demonstrate the durability of the depression reduction effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]