Can A Minimal Psychological Intervention Help Chronically Ill Elderly Patients?
This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-led minimal psychological intervention (MPI) in chronically ill elderly persons with minor depression or mild-to-moderate major depression, and type II diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Nine months after the intervention, patients receiving the MPI showed a 50% reduction in depressive symptoms relative to baseline values and diabetic MPI patients had a better quality of life than diabetic controls. Among older persons with chronic somatic diseases, depression often remains unrecognized and untreated in primary care. The Depression in Elderly with Long-Term Afflictions (DELTA) study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-led minimal psychological intervention (MPI) in chronically ill elderly persons with depression. A randomized controlled trial was conducted, comparing the MPI with usual care in 361 primary care patients. Four nurses had an average of 4 sessions with the interventio
