The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depressed Younger and Older Clients

Abstract

A few previous studies have examined age as a moderator of cognitive behavioral treatment for depression. In this clinical intervention, the outcomes of 11 younger and 11 older depressed clients, treated with cognitive behavior therapy, were compared.The study was based on a quasi-experimental design and include two groups with pre-post-test design with follow-up. Purposive sampling technique was used and 22 total numbers of participants on the basis of the purposive sampling technique. The results demonstrated that cognitive behavioral therapy, in terms of depression management is more effective in younger clients rather than the older ones.It was concluded that cognitive behavioural therapy was a proper intervention for reducing the depression but more effective for younger ones. These findings contribute to the broader literature on treatment heterogeneity, in particular, the impact of age, and may inform personalized care for persons seeking depression treatment in primary care settings.