The Health and Social Consequences of Depression Among the Elderly

Mental illnesses often go undiagnosed or untreated in low-income settings. Mental health care may be especially important for the elderly - events in the lives of the elderly, like illnesses or deaths of peers, may put these individuals at high risk of mental illness. The study will constitute a randomized controlled trial aimed at reducing depression among elderly women. Through two interventions, the investigators will aim to improve women elder's outlook on life and relationships through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and facilitated group activities. There will be a total of four treatment arms: one for CBT during home visits, one for facilitated group activities, one for both, and a control group receiving neither the CBT nor facilitated group activities. All activities will be delivered by lay government community volunteers. Randomization for group activities will be at the village level, and randomization for CBT will be at the individual-level within each village. Investigators will track outcomes of the elderly at two points in time: immediately after the main 12-week intervention period and 6 months after the main intervention period.

NCT Number	NCT05856552
Lead Sponsor	National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. Collaborators: Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab
Conditions	Depression, Functional Impairment
Enrollment	5,370 participants
Start Date	2024-11-20
Primary Completion	2028-12 (estimated)
Study Completion	2028-12 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-11-26