Understanding the importance of depression management for a geriatric population

According to health education promotion literature, depression in the elderly often goes unnoticed because depression is regarded as a natural and inevitable part of aging. However, without proper treatment and management, depression can lead to deterioration in overall health. We implemented the depression support group at two of our geriatric healthcare centers in response to patient feedback, requests from the center’s Activities Coordinators, and personal observations during patient interactions. The support groups consisted of 60-90 minute sessions, meeting once a week for 6 weeks. Support groups were led by 2 well-seasoned health educators (each having prior training in various mental health topics).The sessions covered: what is depression, how it affects chronic disease, stress management techniques, elder abuse, fostering healthy relationships, medication compliance, and more. We administered a pre and post PHQ-9 or GDS questionnaire to evaluate the effectiveness of the support group for improving symptoms of depression. Support group size was limited to 10-15 participants to create an intimate setting and promote trust. Once the support group concluded, we compared pre and post PHQ-9 and GDS questionnaire scores, and noted there was an improvement in scores as well as in the overall health as self-reported by participants. Several participants described feeling happier, having more energy, understanding the importance of medication compliance, and showed a greater desire to self-manage their chronic condition(s) following their improved state of mind. During the three month follow up, we learned patients continued to use many of the recommendations and tools learned in the support group.