Training primary care nurses in late-life depression: knowledge, attitude and practice changes

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Primary Care Nursing
• Mental Health Training

Background:

• Late-life depression is prevalent and undertreated in primary care settings.
• Nurses play a crucial role in detecting depression in older adults.
• Limited training exists for primary care nurses on identifying and managing late-life depression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a two-day training program for primary care nurses on late-life depression.
• To assess the program's impact on nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and use of screening protocols.
• To determine the program's relevance to clinical practice in improving care for older adults with depression.

Main Methods:

• An uncontrolled pre- and post-test design was employed.
• Data collected via Late-Life Depression Quiz, Depression Attitude Questionnaire (DAQ), and Impact on Clinical Practice Questionnaire.
• 73 nurses started training, 66 completed; data collected at 1 and 3 months post-training.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in nurses' knowledge of late-life depression (P < 0.0005).
• More optimistic attitudes towards depression post-training (2 DAQ items significant after adjustment, P < 0.0025).
• Nurses actively used the screening measure (77% at 1 month, 52% at 3 months).

Conclusions:

• The short training program effectively enhanced nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding late-life depression.
• Implementation of a brief screening tool encouraged more comprehensive depression assessments.
• Training primary care nurses is vital for improving the quality of life for older adults with depression.