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Effectiveness of home treatment for elderly people with depression: randomised controlled trial
- Authors:
- KLUG Gunter, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 197(6), December 2010, pp.463-467.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This study tested the effectiveness of home treatment for elderly people with depression living independently in Austria. Sixty out-patients aged 65 and over with major depression were either allocated to a home treatment model over a 1-year period or to conventional psychiatric out-patient care. Home treatment was delivered by a multidisciplinary team consisting of one psychiatrist, two psychologists and one social worker who was also qualified as a psychiatric nurse. Treatment included talks about self-esteem, coping resources and medication adherence; encouragement to establish and maintain social networks, increase social and leisure activities and cope with tasks of daily living; support of carers; and crisis interventions when required. The primary outcome was the level of depressive symptoms after 3 and 12 months. The secondary outcomes were global functioning, subjective quality of life, admissions to nursing homes, duration of psychiatric hospital treatments and the cost of care. Findings revealed that the individuals receiving home treatment had significantly fewer symptoms of depression, better global functioning and a higher quality of life at 3 months and at 12 months. In the 1 year period there were fewer admissions to nursing homes, they spent less time in psychiatric in-patient care and the overall cost of care was lower. The study concluded that home treatment appeared to be an effective and cost-effective service model for elderly people with depression.