EFFICACY OF A GROUP-APPROACH TO REDUCING DEPRESSION IN NURSING-HOME ELDERLY RESIDENTS

Sixteen elderly nursing home residents experiencing mild to moderate depression were involved in a demonstration-cum-research project. The social work intervention was based upon an eclectic group approach to reducing depression, and the research part of the project used a pretest-posttest control group design. After the group intervention, three-fourths of those in the treatment group were free from depression, and none was in the ''moderate depression'' category. The difference between the mean scores of the treatment and control groups on the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale at posttest was also statistically significant.