Cognitive behavioural therapy with older adults: enthusiasm without the evidence?
The Cognitive Behaviour TherapistPublished 28 April 2009
Philip Wilkinson
Citations4
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TL;DR
The potential of CBT to improve the outcome of late-life mental illness has not yet been adequately tested and demonstrated, so the priorities are to develop standardized, reproducible CBT interventions and to evaluate these in large trials alongside medication or as part of case-management interventions.
Abstract
Abstract Cognitive behavioural interventions specifically for older people have been described and researched for the last 30 years. However, despite a robust evidence base to support the use of CBT in the treatment of mental disorders in younger adults, trials with older people have generally been of poor methodological quality. Therefore, the potential of CBT to improve the outcome of late-life mental illness has not yet been adequately tested and demonstrated. The priorities, if this is to happen, are to develop standardized, reproducible CBT interventions and to evaluate these in large trials alongside medication or as part of case-management interventions.
Keywords
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