An examination of the therapeutic benefits of focus groups on elderly worriers

Meta-analysis comparing different behavioral treatments for late-life anxiety

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of different types of behavioral treatments for geriatric anxiety (cognitive behavior therapy [CBT] alone, CBT with relaxation training [RT], and RT alone).

METHOD

The authors compared effect sizes from 19 trials. Analyses were based on uncontrolled outcomes (comparing posttreatment and pretreatment scores) and effects relative to control conditions on both anxiety and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Treatments for older adults with anxiety symptoms were, on average, more effective than active control conditions. Effect sizes were comparable to those reported elsewhere for CBT for anxiety in the general population or for pharmacotherapy in anxious older adults. CBT (alone or augmented with RT) does not seem to add anything beyond RT alone, although a direct comparison is challenging given differences in control conditions. Effects on depressive symptoms were smaller, with no differences among treatment types.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest that behavioral treatments are effective for older adults with anxiety disorders and symptoms. Results must be interpreted with caution given the limitations of the literature, including differing sample characteristics and control conditions across studies.

Using a Focus Group Approach to Determine Older Adults' Opinions and Attitudes Toward a Nutrition Education Program

In order to determine older adults' (60+ years) attitudes and opinions toward a nutrition education program, six 45-minute focus groups were conducted. Twenty-eight congregate meal site participants in Atlanta, Georgia, participated in the focus group discussions. Questions addressed opinions toward nutrition education, reasons for participating, outcomes following the program, and suggestions for future programs. Participants generally responded positively toward nutrition education, but viewed foods as "good" or "bad," and nutrition guidelines as "rules" or "orders." A predominant theme to surface was that these older adults were interested in receiving disease specific nutrition information, including handouts and goal setting activities.

Psychological treatment of late-life anxiety: an empirical review

This study provides a meta-analytic review of nonpharmacological interventions for late-life anxiety, focusing on treatment efficacy. Included in the analysis are studies in which a comparison was made either to a control condition or to another treatment. A total of 15 outcome studies, published or reported between January 1975 and January 2002, were identified involving 495 participants (mean age exceeding 55.0 years and a grand mean of 69.5 years) and providing 20 separate treatment interventions. The analysis indicated that psychological interventions were reliably more effective than no treatment on self-rated and clinician-rated measures of anxiety, yielding an effect size of .55. Maintenance of treatment gains (a minimum of 6 months follow-up) was insufficiently reported across studies to allow for a reliable demonstration of an overall estimate of long-term efficacy. It is concluded that psychological interventions produce significant improvements, but the analyses must be qualified by data limitations in the research synthesis.