However, the side effects of drugs, especially in older adults, and the less-than-universal effectiveness of current therapies prompt the continued search for alternate safe treatment interventions. Numerous research studies report the use of psychotherapeutic approaches and compare them to medical therapies. (Mcfarland, 2005) Medical treatments have been assessed through various studies. Mcfarland, reports on studies on cognitive behavioral therapy. Research was conducted in hopes that there would be a significant change in coping ability, and significant changes in the older adult's feelings. Cognitive behavior of 102 elderly outpatients with mild to moderate depression is compared. The patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 1) desipramine alone, 2) cognitive behavioral therapy alone, or 3) desipramine plus cognitive behavioral therapy for 16-20 therapy sessions. Research results show that the groups that received desipramine plus cognitive behavioral therapy showed greater improvement than the groups taking medication alone, whereas the group receiving cognitive therapy alone showed only marginally more improvement. The study suggests that cognitive therapy...
Depression in the Elderly Although many of the elderly citizens in the United States in the future will enjoy better health than in years past, many will still suffer from various age-related healthcare and mental health problems as they grow older that may contribute to the development of depressive disorders. In fact, older people in particular have a number of factors working against them that appear to contribute to the incidence
In this regard, Sheve adds that, "For these people, assisted living may be the answer. Assisted living facilities fill a gap between complete independence and around-the-clock care. It's an option for those who are 'mostly abled' and who still want (and can safely live with) a high degree of freedom and independence" (para. 4). Not surprisingly, the continuum of care required for the elderly is closely associated with the
Depression, Disease, And Aging Aging brings many changes in health, social relationships, work situation, and other dimensions of life, and old age has been examined as one aspect of life development, showing how earlier stages contribute to the coping mechanisms older people have and how they apply these to new situations. A number of the changes accompanying old age can create stress and depression, and in turn these psychological states can
Role of Spirituality in the Treatment of Depression Over the last thirty years, one of the most interesting paradoxes in the study and treatment of depression has been that increased knowledge about the biomedical and genetic causes of the disease has been coupled with a renewed interest in the effect of religion and spirituality on human mental health and well-being. No matter how religion and spirituality are defined -- and many
Prescription, Nonprescription and Herbal Medicines Prescription, Non-prescription and Herbal Medications: Exploring Interactions in the Geriatric Population Geriatric medicine, generally referred to as just "geriatrics" is a branch of internal medicine and health care that focuses primarily on the diagnoses, prevention, care and treatment of disease and disability in elderly patients. Elderly patients involve those senior members of the population that develop a disability, or are suffering from a disease that is a
Ruth E. Mathias and a.E. Benjamin (2003) report that social workers are becoming increasingly concerned about elder abuse in long-term care settings (p. 174). A study conducted by these social scientists/authors, reveals that Medicaid related agency care demonstrates no harmful or increase in the abuse suffered by elderly people receiving care through private agencies, but that there is little social worker oversight, and because of that, reports and information
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