Schedule:
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Pacific D/L (Hyatt Regency San Francisco)
* noted as presenting author
Yi Yin, BA, Student, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
Jiaqi Yuan, MPA, Student, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
Xinfeng Tang, MSW, Research Assistant, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
Tan Tang, MA, student, The Chinese University of Hongkong, Shatin, China
Weijun Zhang, PhD, Assistant professor, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
Xiaohua Wang, PhD, Associate Professor, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
Yun Xiao, BA, Director, Mianzhu Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Mianzhu, China
Donghua Tian, MD, Professor, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
Zhiyong Qu, PhD,
Visiting Scholar, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Saint Paul, MN
Introduction:Major depression is a leading cause of burden of disease worldwide. Finding cost-effective interventions to reduce its frequency is a public health priority (Ferrari et al., 2013). Pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy are currently recommended for treatment of depression in adults of any age (Gould RL, Coulson MC, Howard RJ, 2012). Among the psychotherapeutic treatments, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most researched form of psychotherapy (Wilson K, Mottram PG, Vassilas C ,2008;Cuijpers P, Berking M, Andersson G, Quigley L, Kleiboer A, Dobson KS,2013). Though CBT has been determined to be effective for the treatment of depression in elderly, most people living in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), including China, do not have access to these treatments (Patel V, Chowdhary N, Rahman A, Verdeli H, 2011). And there is little known regarding the effect of psychological interventions conducted by primary care physicians or village doctors (also traditionally known as “barefoot doctors”), in rural China. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of a modified cognitive behavioral therapy delivered by trained village doctors on depression in older adults.
Methods:This is a randomized, controlled pilot study that was conducted in rural China, in which elders with depression were randomly allocated to a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) treatment group or control group. 51 60 years old or older elders participate the study, their mean age was 70.6 (Min=64, Max=90, SD=5.60). Depression was measured by Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). A localized psychological intervention, designated Brief Comprehensive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (BC-CBT) was implemented by 10 village doctors.
Results:Twenty-four elders with depression were randomly assigned to a CBT intervention group and 27 to a control group. After 8 sessions of therapy, 9 of 24 (37.5%) in the intervention group and 4 of 26 (15.4%) in the control group did not meet the standard for depression. Controlling for the demographic characteristics of the elders, the village doctors’ interventions significantly reduced depression in older adults (OR=5.79; 95% CI, 1.12- 29.89, P=0.036).
Conclusions: Eight sessions CBT conducted by village doctors were temporarily effective for treating depression in elderly people in rural China.
![[ Visit Client Website ]](images/banner.gif)