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Internet Delivered Psychotherapy for Older Adults

Depression in Old Age | Depression, Anxiety

The goal of this mixed-methods, single-arm intervention study is to develop and evaluate a new internet-delivered psychotherapy option called Ger-iPST in older adults with symptoms of depression.

The overall aim of this project is to improve access to psychotherapy for older adults by developing, adapting and implementing a new internet-based treatment option, Ger-iPST. Towards this aim, our objectives are to:

1. Examine the preliminary effectiveness of Ger-iPST for symptoms of depression.
2. Examine barriers and facilitators to the use of Ger-iPST.

Participants will be asked to complete 8 weekly online therapy modules (Ger-iPST) through the Online Psycho Therapy Tool (OPTT); each module takes 45-60 minutes, and an extra 20-30 on weekly homework. Caregivers will be invited to assist participants if required.

Homework exercises are submitted through the platform, and a clinician trained in PST l will provide personalized, asynchronous online feedback. Participants will receive a weekly phone call from a research assistant to support any technical issues with completing the online modules. Following completion of the Ger-iPST modules, participants will be interviewed to provide feedback on acceptability and barriers and facilitators to the use of Ger-iPST.

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Participation Requirements

  • Sex:

    ALL

  • Eligible Ages:

    65 and up

Participation Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Individuals who are 65 years or older
* Presenting with a primary complaint of depression and a Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 score \> 5
* English Speaking
* Residents of Alberta
* Have internet access

Exclusion Criteria:

* Individuals with acute safety concerns (e.g.suicidal ideation), psychotic symptoms, moderate cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA) \< 21) or currently receiving psychotherapy

Study Location

Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

Lynn Tan, BSc

[email protected]
Study Sponsored By
University of Calgary
Participants Required
More Information
Study ID: NCT05739370