Stepped-Care Prevention of Anxiety and Depression in Late Life.

The article presents a study designed to determine the effectiveness of an indicated stepped-care prevention program for depression and anxiety disorders for the old adults. It states that such study is essential in the development of effective strategies in preventing the said disorders. A total of 170 elderly volunteers were selected, through randomized controlled trial, as the subjects of the study in 33 primary care practices in the Netherlands. It mentions that the preventive stepped-care program involves bibliotherapy and problem-solving treatment. Results show that the prevention program is effective in reducing the risk of depression and anxiety disorders among the elderly and is seen as a valuable therapy from the views of the public health.