A Novel Dyadic Psychological Intervention for Depression Initiated During Short-Term Skilled Nursing Facility Stays

Depressive symptoms are prevalent among short-stay skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents and often persist after discharge, contributing to poor clinical outcomes. Given the central role of informal care partners in post-acute care transitions, a dyadic approach to psychological care may be optimal, but it remains untested in the SNF settings. Intervening during Stressful Transitions in Later Life (InSTILL) is a novel, contextually sensitive, dyadic psychological intervention designed to reduce depression during post-acute care. In a single-arm proof-of-concept study, 6 SNF resident-care partner dyads completed the 8-session intervention. Feasibility and acceptability were high among residents, care partners, and referring SNF staff. Although clinical benefit cannot be determined, residents reported reductions in depression and care partners reported reductions in burden, both in the expected direction, following the 8-session intervention. Despite being limited by a small sample size and no control condition, findings show promise for the feasibility of InSTILL and justify further testing.