Reaching and Engaging Depressed Senior Center Clients (REDS II)

Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Depression in Old Age

Treatments: Other: Training and utilizing Engage-A therapy; Behavioral: Engage-A

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT04289298

5P50MH113838-03 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

19-09020810-02

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility of one type of therapy session, Virtual Augmented Engage (Engage-A). The research is being done because the researchers are trying to learn if these approaches could be used by therapists in the community social service agencies to treat older adults with depression. The research will also measure clinician satisfaction after training and supervision of utilization of Engage-A.

Enrollment: 26 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 55+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age ≥ 55 years' old
• PHQ-9 Score of ≥ 10
• English or Spanish speaking
• MOCA ≥ 24 or mini-telephone MOCA ≥ 11
• Member of/attends one of the REDS Senior Centers
• Capacity to provide written consent for both research assessment and the Engage-A intervention.

Exclusion criteria

• Current active suicidal ideation defined by MADRS Suicide Item ≥ 4 (probably better off dead. Suicidal thoughts are common, and suicide is considered as a possible solution, but without specific plans or intention).
• Presence of psychiatric diagnoses other than unipolar, non-psychotic major depression or generalized anxiety disorder by SCID-IV.
• Severe or life-threatening medical illness (e.g., end stage organ failure).
• Currently seeing an individual psychotherapist *(if individuals are willing to go on a hiatus from their individual psychotherapist for the 15 weeks of the study, and meet all inclusion criteria, they will be considered eligible).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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26 participants in 2 patient groups

Engage-A

Experimental group

Description:

Participants receive 9 individual in-person or remote therapy sessions. Each session will last approximately 60 minutes. During the sessions, the therapist will encourage the participant to engage in physical and social activities that are pleasurable or rewarding.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Engage-A

Clinician

Experimental group

Description:

Clinicians will be trained in Engage-A and supervised while utilizing the therapy.

Treatment:

Other: Training and utilizing Engage-A therapy