Case Management and Problem Solving Therapy for Depressed, Homebound, Low-Income Elders

Depression is a common mental disorder that affects many low-income elders. Many elders suffer from multiple chronic illnesses and often must deal with social and financial hardships as they continue to age. Rates of diagnosis and treatment for depression within the elderly population are low. This may be because elders are embarrassed to discuss their symptoms with their doctor and assume sadness and anxiety are a normal part of the aging process. However, depression is not a normal consequence of aging. Furthermore, it can severely impact people's lives, sleep patterns, concentration, and energy levels. This study will compare the effectiveness of case management combined with problem-solving therapy (CM-PST) versus case management (CM) alone for assisting elderly people diagnosed with depression.

CM involves identifying a person's particular needs and working with a case worker to plan and implement specific resources and services that will meet those needs. PST emphasizes the social context of an individual's situation through problem-solving and behavior change techniques. Recent studies have suggested that combining CM with PST may have a mutually beneficial effect on depressed, low-income elders. CM can help elders with their social and financial needs, and PST can improve their ability to cope with stressful events and utilize their new resources.

Participants in this open-label study will be randomly assigned to receive 12 sessions of either CM or CM-PST. Both treatments will be delivered at the participant's home by a trained case worker. Participants assigned to receive CM will focus on increasing their resources and reducing adversity. The case worker will help participants determine the causes of their unmet needs, create an action plan to meet those needs, encourage the use of services, and possibly advise their family members and health care providers to help facilitate the use of those services. Participants assigned to CM-PST will undergo a needs assessment during the first session to develop a problem-solving plan that will be implemented over the next 11 sessions. Each session will include instruction on how to use the PST approach to solve problems identified by both the therapist and participant. All participants will undergo a neuropsychological exam and complete psychological and physical functioning questionnaires prior to treatment and at Weeks 3, 6, 12, and 24.