Community-Based Outreach and Treatment for Underserved Older Adults With Clinically Significant Worry: A Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Mental Health
• Comparative Effectiveness Research
• Psychosocial Interventions

Background:

• Anxiety and worry are prevalent concerns among older adults, particularly in underserved communities.
• Effective psychosocial interventions are needed to address mental health challenges in low-income, minority populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of Calmer Life (CL) versus Enhanced Community Care with Resource Counseling (ECC-RC) for improving worry and anxiety symptoms in older adults.
• To assess the impact of these interventions on depression, sleep, trauma, functional status, and quality of life.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted in Houston, Texas, with individuals aged 50 and above experiencing significant worry.
• Participants received either CL or ECC-RC, with outcomes assessed at 6 and 9 months.
• Primary outcomes included worry and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)-related symptom severity; secondary outcomes covered a range of mental and functional health indicators.

Main Results:

• Both CL and ECC-RC demonstrated similar moderate improvements in worry, GAD symptoms, anxiety, depression, sleep, trauma symptoms, and mental health quality of life at 6 and 9 months.
• Participants reported higher satisfaction with CL compared to ECC-RC.
• Fewer ECC-RC participants reported hospital admissions and provider visits in the preceding 3 months at 6 and 9 months, respectively.

Conclusions:

• Both CL and ECC-RC interventions yielded comparable benefits for low-income older adults with worry and anxiety symptoms.
• Despite improvements, residual symptoms suggest a continued need for care.
• Either intervention, or a combination, could be beneficial for this population.