Efficacy of Narrative Therapy for Older People With Depression

Summary

The research aims to investigate the efficacy of a narrative therapy group in reducing depressive symptoms among older people. This study adopts a mixed methods research design, involving both quantitative and qualitative approaches. In the quantitative study, a randomised controlled trial will compare a narrative therapy group with a waitlist control group to determine whether an eight-session narrative therapy group can reduce depressive symptoms in older people. The eight-session narrative therapy group will be delivered by a trained and experienced social worker or counsellor, and intervention outcomes will be assessed before and after the intervention using a standardised assessment tool for depressive symptoms. The qualitative study aims to examine the benefits, advantages, and limitations of the narrative therapy group from the users' perspective.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. aged 60 years or above;
2. exhibiting depressive symptoms as assessed using a standardised assessment tool, namely the Chinese Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI; Byrne et al., 2004), with a BDI score between 10 and 30;
3. being a service user of an elderly centre; and
4. providing informed consent to participate in this research.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Individuals with severe depression (i.e. a BDI score ≥ 31), dementia, psychosis, or self-reported suicidal thoughts are excluded from this study; and
2. Individuals currently receiving a therapeutic intervention are not excluded from this study.

Conditions1

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