| Depression in older adults is a common and serious problem. In the past ten years, psychologists have attempted to design, implement, and evaluate cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic treatments for this age group (Thompson & Gallagher, 1982). The purpose of this study was to compare Problem-Solving Therapy, a cognitive-behavioral technique, and Reminiscence Therapy, a psychodynamic technique, in their effectiveness in alleviating depression among older adults. Seventy-five adults over the age of 55 were randomly assigned to either Problem-Solving Therapy, Reminiscence Therapy or a Waiting-List Control condition. Of the 75 who started treatment, 59 completed post and 3 month follow-up evaluations. All participants were assessed by a diagnostic interview (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Research Diagnostic Criteria) and were administered the Beck Depression Inventory, Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Inventory to Diagnose Depression at pre-, post-, and 3-month follow-up. To determine behavioral effects of treatment, the Pleasant Events Survey for the Elderly was administered before, after and three months following treatment. The Social Problem Solving Inventory and the Life Integration Scale were administered at the three assessment phases in order to determine whether process changes specific to each treatment condition were accomplished. There were three important findings: (1) both treatment conditions improved significantly on all depression measures as compared to the waiting-list control condition; (2) improvements were maintained over the 3-month follow-up period; and (3) improvements in depression were significantly greater in the problem-solving condition as compared to the reminiscence condition. |
