Behavioural Activation versus Treatment as Usual for Depressed Older Adults in Primary Care: A Pragmatic Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial

Introduction: Effective non-pharmacological treatment options for depression in older adults are lacking. Objective: The effectiveness of behavioural activation (BA) by mental health nurses (MHNs) for depressed older adults in primary care compared with treatment as usual (TAU) was evaluated. Methods: In this multicentre cluster-randomised controlled trial, 59 primary care centres (PCCs) were randomised to BA and TAU. Consenting older (& GE;65 years) adults (n = 161) with clinically relevant symptoms of depression (PHQ-9 & GE; 10) participated. Interventions were an 8-week individual MHN-led BA programme and unrestricted TAU in which general practitioners followed national guidelines. The primary outcome was self-reported depression (QIDS-SR16) at 9 weeks and 3, 6, 9, and 12-month follow-up. Results: Data of 96 participants from 21 PCCs in BA and 65 participants from 16 PCCs in TAU, recruited between July 4, 2016, and September 21, 2020, were included in the intention-to-treat analyses. At post-treatment, BA participants reported significantly lower severity of depressive symptoms than TAU participants (QIDS-SR16 difference = -2.77, 95% CI = -4.19 to -1.35), p < 0.001; between-group effect size = 0.90; 95% CI = 0.42-1.38). This difference persisted up to the 3-month follow-up (QIDS-SR16 difference = -1.53, 95% CI = -2.81 to -0.26, p = 0.02; between-group effect size = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.07-0.92) but not up to the 12-month follow-up [QIDS-SR16 difference = -0.89 (-2.49 to 0.71)], p = 0.28; between-group effect size = 0.29 (95% CI = -0.82 to 0.24). Conclusions: BA led to a greater symptom reduction of depressive symptoms in older adults, compared to TAU in primary care, at post-treatment and 3-month follow-up, but not at 6- to 12-month follow-up.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the effectiveness of behavioural activation (BA) by mental health nurses (MHNs) for depressed older adults in primary care. The results showed that BA was more effective than treatment as usual (TAU) in reducing depressive symptoms at post-treatment and 3-month follow-up, but not at 6- to 12-month follow-up.