Tele-PROTECT Therapy: Effectiveness, Empowerment, and Implementation
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Summary
The purpose of this randomized trial is to conduct a fully powered effectiveness trial of video-delivered PROTECT (Tele-PROTECT) compared to a video-delivered depression education (DepEd) control condition to be delivered to 140 English- and Spanish-speaking NYC elder abuse victims. Investigators hypothesize three main aims: 1. Effectiveness Aim: Tele-PROTECT participants will have significantly greater and clinically meaningful reductions in depression when compared to the DepEd control; 2. Abuse Impact Aim: Tele-PROTECT participants will demonstrate greater safety related empowerment compared to DepEd control, which can help participants take steps to reduce risk; 3. Implementation Aim: Stakeholders' views of the factors impacting the implementation of Tele-PROTECT based on characteristics of the intervention, agency setting, and population served will contribute to a national dissemination of Tele-PROTECT Participants will * Receive 9 weeks of tele health psychotherapy delivered by a Master's level mental health clinician from the Weill Cornell Medicine research team. Participants will be assigned to "Tele-PROTECT" or "DepEd" psychotherapy randomly. * Participate in one baseline assessment and four follow-up assessments at weeks 3, 6, 9, and 12 administered by a trained member of the research team.
Description
The WHO estimates that 1 in 6 older adults have experienced elder abuse in the past year with rates in the community increasing by as much as 83.6% during the pandemic. Elder abuse (EA) takes a serious physical and emotional toll on older adults, including premature mortality, physical injuries and financial losses. EA victims in NYC are more likely to be women than men, and more likely to be women of color. Previous work by the investigators has demonstrated that 1/3 of victims have clinically significant depressive symptoms. Abused older adults with depression have higher rates of mortality…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 60+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * ≥60 years of age * Capacity to consent (per elder abuse staff) * Depression, i.e., PHQ-9≥10 (by elder abuse staff), represents mild to moderate severity of depression and has a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 88% for major depression * Need for elder abuse services as verified by the elder abuse case worker. Exclusion Criteria: * Active suicidal ideation (MADRS item 10 ≥4) * Inability to speak English or Spanish * Axis 1 DSM-5 diagnoses other than unipolar depression or comorbid generalized anxiety disorder (by SCID) * Mini-MOCA less than 11 * Severe or life-th…
Interventions
- BehavioralTele PROTECT
Tele-PROTECT is a behavioral intervention delivered virtually over nine 45-minute sessions for depressed elder abuse (EA) victims. It is designed to work in synergy with EA resolution services that provide safety planning, support services, and links to legal services.
- BehavioralDepression Education
DepEd is designed as an intervention delivered virtually over nine 45-minute sessions with active therapeutic ingredients (education, support, empathy). It is designed to be what a good clinician providing education would do with an individual with depression.
Location
- Weill Cornell MedicineNew York, New York