Depression in Homebound Older Adults: Recent Advances in Screening and Psychosocial Interventions

Homebound older adults are more likely than their ambulatory peers to suffer from depression. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of antidepressant medications alone in such cases is limited. Greater benefits might be realized if patients received both pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy to enhance their skills to cope with their multiple chronic medical conditions, isolation, and mobility impairment; however, referrals to specialty mental health services seldom succeed due to inaccessibility, shortage of geriatric mental health providers, and cost. Since a large proportion of homebound older adults receive case management and other services from aging services network agencies, the integration of mental health services into these agencies is likely to be cost-efficient and effective. This review summarizes recent advances in home-based assessment and psychosocial treatment of depression in homebound recipients of aging services.