Treating depression in well older adults: use of diaries in cognitive therapy

A study was conducted with 103 community-based, low-income, well elderly persons who resided in high-rise apartments and were functionally independent. The nursing framework was Roy and Roberts' (1981) adaptation model and techniques from Beck's (1976) theory on cognitive therapy. This study had the dual purpose of determining nurses' ability to identify normal adaptive reactive depression and use techniques from cognitive therapy for depressed subjects. These nurses were able to identify depression using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (third edition, revised) guidelines with 92% accuracy. Participants were divided into three groups: control group, crafts group, and experimental group. Over 8 weeks, the experimental group received nursing intervention aimed at reinforcing positive input thought patterns. Daily diaries were used for discussion. The experimental group demonstrated a significant reduction in depressive symptoms. The group receiving craft classes decreased their depression scores, suggesting attention-effects depression. The control group demonstrated no significant change in depression scores.