A Self-help Behavioral Activation Treatment for Geriatric Depressive Symptoms

This study investigated behavioral activation (BA) bibliotherapy as a treatment for late-life depressive symptoms. BA bibliotherapy was administered using Addis and Martell's Overcoming depression one step at a time as a stand-alone treatment that was completed by participants (N=26) over a 4-week period [Addis, M.E., & Martell, C.R. (2004). Overcoming depression one step at a time. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.]. Results of an immediate intervention group were compared with those of a delayed treatment control group and treatment response for both groups was evaluated at 1-month follow-up. Primary outcome results showed that symptoms on a clinician-rated measure of depressive symptoms, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, were significantly lower at post-treatment for those who received immediate BA bibliotherapy compared with those who were in the delayed treatment control condition. However, self-reported depressive symptoms (a secondary outcome measured via the Geriatric Depression Scale), were not significantly different at this period. Because study control was lost after the delayed treatment group received the intervention, within-subjects analyses examining both treatment groups combined showed that clinician-rated depressive symptoms significantly decreased from pre-treatment to both post-treatment and 1-month follow-up. Self-reported depressive symptoms were significantly lower from pre-treatment to 1-month follow-up. These findings suggest that BA may be useful in treating mild or subthreshold depressive symptoms in an older adult population.