TY - JOUR
T1 - Delivery Characteristics, Acceptability, and Depression Outcomes of a Home-based Depression Intervention for Older African Americans
T2 - The Get Busy Get Better Program
AU - Gitlin, Laura N.
AU - Harris, Lynn Fields
AU - McCoy, Megan C.
AU - Hess, Edward
AU - Hauck, Walter W.
N1 - Funding Information:
The study reported in this manuscript was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (RO1 MH079814). Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00511680. Get Busy Get Better: Helping Older Adults Beat the Blues, was formerly referred to as Beat the Blues. We would like to acknowledge Nancy Wilson, MSW, for her consultation on this study.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author 2015.
PY - 2016/10/1
Y1 - 2016/10/1
N2 - Purpose of the Study: To facilitate replication, we examined delivery characteristics, acceptability, and depression outcomes of a home-based intervention, Get Busy Get Better, Helping Older Adults Beat the Blues (GBGB). GBGB, previously tested in a randomized trial, reduced depressive symptoms and enhanced quality of life in African Americans. Design and Methods: A total of 208 African Americans aged above 55 years with Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scores ≥5 on two subsequent screenings were randomized to receive GBGB immediately or 4 months later. GBGB involves up to 10 home sessions consisting of care management, referral/linkage, depression education/symptom recognition, stress reduction, and behavioral activation. Interventionists recorded delivery characteristics (dose, intensity) and perceived acceptability of sessions. Baseline and post-tests were used to characterize participants and examine associations between dose/intensity and depression scores. Participant satisfaction and perceived benefits were examined at 8 months. Results: Of 208 participants, 181 (87%, mean age = 69.6) had treatment data. Of these, 165 (91.2%) had ≥3 treatment sessions (minimal dose). Participants had on average 8.1 sessions (SD = 2.6) for an average of 65.4min (SD = 18.3) each. Behavioral activation and care management were provided the most (average of six sessions for average duration = 17.9 and 22.2min per session respectively), although all participants received each treatment component. GBGB was perceived as highly acceptable and beneficial by interventionists and participants. More sessions and time in program were associated with greater symptom reduction. Implications: GBGB treatment components were highly acceptable to participants. Future implementation and sustainability challenges include staffing, training requirements, reimbursement limitations, competing agency programmatic priorities, and generalizability to other groups.
AB - Purpose of the Study: To facilitate replication, we examined delivery characteristics, acceptability, and depression outcomes of a home-based intervention, Get Busy Get Better, Helping Older Adults Beat the Blues (GBGB). GBGB, previously tested in a randomized trial, reduced depressive symptoms and enhanced quality of life in African Americans. Design and Methods: A total of 208 African Americans aged above 55 years with Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scores ≥5 on two subsequent screenings were randomized to receive GBGB immediately or 4 months later. GBGB involves up to 10 home sessions consisting of care management, referral/linkage, depression education/symptom recognition, stress reduction, and behavioral activation. Interventionists recorded delivery characteristics (dose, intensity) and perceived acceptability of sessions. Baseline and post-tests were used to characterize participants and examine associations between dose/intensity and depression scores. Participant satisfaction and perceived benefits were examined at 8 months. Results: Of 208 participants, 181 (87%, mean age = 69.6) had treatment data. Of these, 165 (91.2%) had ≥3 treatment sessions (minimal dose). Participants had on average 8.1 sessions (SD = 2.6) for an average of 65.4min (SD = 18.3) each. Behavioral activation and care management were provided the most (average of six sessions for average duration = 17.9 and 22.2min per session respectively), although all participants received each treatment component. GBGB was perceived as highly acceptable and beneficial by interventionists and participants. More sessions and time in program were associated with greater symptom reduction. Implications: GBGB treatment components were highly acceptable to participants. Future implementation and sustainability challenges include staffing, training requirements, reimbursement limitations, competing agency programmatic priorities, and generalizability to other groups.
KW - Behavioral activation
KW - Depression care
KW - Home care
KW - Treatment implementation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84994479748&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84994479748&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/geront/gnv117
DO - 10.1093/geront/gnv117
M3 - Article
C2 - 26608333
AN - SCOPUS:84994479748
SN - 0016-9013
VL - 56
SP - 956
EP - 965
JO - Gerontologist
JF - Gerontologist
IS - 5
ER -