Ecosystem Focused Therapy in Post Stroke Depression

Summary

Older adults who are stroke survivors can experience many challenges, including depression, cognitive dysfunction, and physical disability. Family members and other caregivers may struggle with helping stroke survivors adjust to life after stroke. This research study involves testing a modified form of problem-solving therapy called Ecosystem Focused Therapy (EFT) to help treat depression in older adult stroke survivors. EFT teaches problem-solving skills to patients to help them cope with problems related to stroke and depression, alters their physical environment to accommodate new needs resulting from stroke, and helps the family or caregiver to assist in the patient's adaptation. In addition this study will compare EFT to an education intervention to see which is more effective in treating depressed stroke survivors.

Conditions

• Depression
• Stroke

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Education on Stroke and Depression (ESD)

* Each session begins by assessing the subject's and his/her family's level of information in a given area and by identifying misconceptions, thus guiding the selection of educational material. * Comprehending illness-related information is a process contaminated by pessimism, denial, misconceptions, and stigma. The role of the ESD therapist is to impart valuable information, despite these complexities. * Conveying information is a process. The ESD therapist needs to be aware of where the subject and family are in each session and offer information for which they have readiness to accept. * ESD therapists do not engage in additional interventions (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, problem solving therapy).

BEHAVIORAL

Ecosystem Focused Therapy (EFT)

1. EFT offers an action-oriented, new perspective about the subject's recovery; 2. It provides an adherence enhancement structure; 3. It offers a problem solving structure to the subject focusing on problems, valued by the subject, and pertinent to daily function; 4. It helps the family re-engineer its goals, involvement, and plans to accommodate the patient's disability; 5. It coordinates care with specialized therapists with the goal to increase patient participation in rehabilitation and social activities.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

  collaborator NIH

• Weill Medical College of Cornell University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• George S. Alexopoulos, M.D. · Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

50 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2012-03-31

Primary Completion

2019-01-31

Completion

2019-01-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations