Mediators of the impact of a home-based intervention (beat the blues) on depressive symptoms among older African Americans.

ABSTRACT: Older African Americans (N = 208) with depressive symptoms were randomly assigned to a home-based nonpharmacologic intervention (Beat the Blues, or BTB) or wait-list control group. BTB was delivered by licensed social workers and involved up to 10 home visits focused on care management, referral and linkage, depression knowledge and efficacy in symptom recognition, instruction in stress reduction techniques, and behavioral activation through identification of personal goals and action plans for achieving them. Structured interviews by assessors masked to study assignment were used to assess changes in depressive symptoms (main trial endpoint), behavioral activation, depression knowledge, formal care service utilization, and anxiety (mediators) at baseline and 4 months. At 4 months, the int

SUBMITTER: Gitlin LN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4176772 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature