Routine talking treatment (using the 'Unified Protocol') with a depressed and anxious older adult

What is it about?

This study tested a brief talking treatment (called the ‘Unified Protocol’) with a 67-year old woman at her local mental health clinic. Ten 1-hour sessions focused on understanding Jan's feelings and how they stopped her doing activities she enjoyed. Jan set agreed tasks between meetings and kept a daily diary of her feelings. By the end Jan felt more confident, less worry, and enjoyed more routine in her day. Her improvement continued after 3 months, with some anxious relapse.

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Why is it important?

25% of older people (people over the age of 65) can feel depressed or anxious. In fact, older people can often feel depressed and anxious at the same time, finding that their hobbies and routines are harder to enjoy. This study showed that talking treatments (using the Unified Protocol) can be helpful for older people like Jan in coping with depression and anxiety. Uniquely, this study showed therapy can be relatively brief, community-based with lasting benefits to older people.