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Long-term Effects of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy and Lithium Therapy on Depression in the Elderly

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

K. C. M. Wilson ,
M. Scott ,
M. Abou-Saleh ,
R. Burns  and
J. R. M. Copeland
K. C. M. Wilson*
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Ageing, Liverpool
M. Scott
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Ageing, Liverpool
M. Abou-Saleh
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Ageing, Liverpool
R. Burns
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Ageing, Liverpool
J. R. M. Copeland
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Ageing, Liverpool
*
Dr Wilson, Institute of Human Ageing, University of Liverpool, P. O. Box 147, Liverpool L69 3BX
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Abstract

Background

We examine the effects of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) as an adjuvant to acute physical treatment and lithium maintenance therapy in reducing depression severity over a follow-up year in elderly depressed patients.

Method

The study consists of three phases. During the acute treatment and continuation phase, 17 of 31 patients received CBT as an adjuvant to treatment as usual. During the maintenance phase of 1 year, subjects were entered into a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of low-dose lithium therapy.

Results

Receiving adjuvant CBT significantly reduced patients' scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression during the follow-up year (repeated measures analyses of variance; P = 0.007). No significant differences were found between lithium and placebo maintenance therapy.

Conclusions

CBT can be adapted as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of severely depressed elderly patients and reduces depression severity during follow-up. The prophylactic failure of long-term lithium therapy may be explained through poor compliance.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 167 , Issue 5 , November 1995 , pp. 653 - 658
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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