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Long‐term relapse rates after cognitive behaviour therapy for anxiety and depressive disorders among older adults: A follow‐up study during COVID‐19
Author(s) -
Johnco Carly J.,
Chen Jessamine T. H.,
Muir Courtney,
Strutt Paul,
Dawes Piers,
Siette Joyce,
Dias Cintia Botelha,
Hillebrandt Heidi,
Maurice Olivia,
Wuthrich Viviana M.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/ajag.12928
Subject(s) - anxiety , depression (economics) , stressor , covid-19 , coping (psychology) , clinical psychology , quality of life (healthcare) , cognitive behavioral therapy , psychology , medicine , cognition , depressive symptoms , psychiatry , disease , psychotherapist , infectious disease (medical specialty) , economics , macroeconomics
Objective This study assessed the long‐term symptom relapse rates among older adults previously treated with cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for anxiety and/or depression during COVID‐19. Methods Participants were 37 older adults ( M = 75 years, SD = 5; 65% female) previously treated with CBT for anxiety and/or unipolar depression who were re‐assessed an average of 5.6 years later, during the first Australian COVID‐19 lockdown. Results On average, there was no significant group‐level change in anxiety, depression or quality of life. When assessing change in symptoms based on clinical cut‐off points on self‐report measures, results suggest only 17%‐22% showed a relapse of symptoms by the COVID‐19 pandemic. Conclusions Findings suggest that CBT may be protective in coping with life stressors many years after treatment ends. However, results warrant replication to attribute continued symptom improvement to CBT given the lack of control group.