Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, Vol 52, Issue 4 P159-P166, Copyright © 1997 by The Gerontological Society of America
Behavioral treatment of depression in dementia patients: a controlled clinical trial
L Teri, RG Logsdon, J Uomoto and SM McCurry
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA.
The current study is a controlled clinical investigation of two
nonpharmacological treatments of depression in patients with Alzheimer's
disease. Two active behavioral treatments, one emphasizing patient pleasant
events and one emphasizing caregiver problem solving, were compared to an
equal-duration typical care condition and a wait list control. Seventy-two
patient-caregiver dyads were randomly assigned to one of four conditions
and assessed pre-, post-, and at 6- months follow-up. Patients in both
behavioral treatment conditions showed significant improvement in
depression symptoms and diagnosis as compared with the two other
conditions. These gains were maintained at 6-month follow-up. Caregivers in
each behavioral condition also showed significant improvement in their own
depressive symptoms, while caregivers in the two other conditions did not.
Results indicate that behavioral interventions for depression are important
and effective strategies for treating demented patients and their
caregivers.
