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Can Life's Wisdom Help Counter Depression? Evaluating the CBT Timeline Approach for Older Adults With Depression

NCT04015505 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 7

Last updated 2020-02-05

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study aims to evaluate a specific psychological technique to help older adults with depression improve their mood and develop or utilise their 'wisdom' for managing their current difficulties. The United Kingdom (UK) population is ageing and effective psychological therapies for older adults need to be well evaluated and developed. This study aims to develop evidence for this technique, and links between gerontological theories of wisdom and clinical psychology.

The 'timeline' technique (Laidlaw, 2010, 2015) is recommended within Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for older adults. CBT is the most evidenced based psychological treatment for a range of psychiatric disorders including depression. Outcome studies have found that older people are just as likely to respond to CBT as younger people.

This technique draws on theories of 'wisdom', where one's wisdom can develop from how they reflect on their life experiences. Depressed individuals may view their lives in overgeneralised negative ways, making this process harder. The timeline technique asks people to create a timeline of their lives. Through reflection and discussion of past events, they are helped to recognise personal resilience, develop self-compassion, and utilise their wisdom for managing current difficulties. This technique requires specific evaluation to determine its validity and effectiveness.

This study uses a single-case experimental research design to allow conclusions to be drawn from a small number of participants. Six individuals from primary and secondary care mental health waiting lists, as well as third sector providers, aged over 60 and experiencing depression or low mood, will be invited to take part in a short testing of this technique. Individuals will be asked to measure their mood and complete relevant questionnaires throughout their involvement in the study and will do this for up to 4 weeks on their own. They will then meet with a trainee clinical psychologist for five weekly sessions of a structured therapy using the timeline technique.

Conditions

  • Depression in Old Age

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for older adults: wisdom enhancement 'timeline technique'

The intervention is comprised of five one-hour sessions of structured talking therapy, where participants create a timeline of their life with significant events included. Through dialogue with the therapist and structured worksheets, participants are encouraged to reflect on events in their life to recognise and develop qualities of resilience and self-compassion. They are then asked to use 'the wisdom of their years' to develop strategies to manage difficulties they are currently facing. Participants will also be asked to complete worksheets and try out new strategies between sessions.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of East Anglia

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Adam JZ Kadri · University of East Anglia

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
60 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2019-08-27
Primary Completion
2020-01-21
Completion
2020-01-21

Countries

  • United Kingdom

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04015505 on ClinicalTrials.gov