About this trial
The research aims to investigate the efficacy of a narrative therapy group in reducing depressive symptoms among older people.
This study adopts a mixed methods research design, involving both quantitative and qualitative approaches. In the quantitative study, a randomised controlled trial will compare a narrative therapy group with a waitlist control group to determine whether an eight-session narrative therapy group can reduce depressive symptoms in older people. The eight-session narrative therapy group will be delivered by a trained and experienced social worker or counsellor, and intervention outcomes will be assessed before and after the intervention using a standardised assessment tool for depressive symptoms. The qualitative study aims to examine the benefits, advantages, and limitations of the narrative therapy group from the users' perspective.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
aged 60 years or above;
exhibiting depressive symptoms as assessed using a standardised assessment tool, namely the Chinese Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI; Byrne et al., 2004), with a BDI score between 10 and 30;
being a service user of an elderly centre; and
providing informed consent to participate in this research.
Disqualifiers
Individuals with severe depression (i.e. a BDI score ≥ 31), dementia, psychosis, or self-reported suicidal thoughts are excluded from this study; and
Individuals currently receiving a therapeutic intervention are not excluded from this study.
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Narrative therapy group
- Treatment as usual (TAU)