Symposium
Aging and Lifespan Psychology
.jpg "Carly Johnco, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) photo")
Carly Johnco, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Associate Professor
Macquarie University
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Jessamine Chen, Ph.D., Other
Professor
Macquarie University
Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia
Ronald Rapee, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor
Macquarie University
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Michael Jones, Ph.D.
Professor
Macquarie University
Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia
Brian Draper, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor
University of New South Wales
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Henry Brodaty, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor
University of New South Wales
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Jonas Fooken, PhD (he/him/his)
Senior Research Fellow
Macquarie University
Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia
Lauren F. McLellan, D. Phil.
Senior Lecturer
Macquarie University
Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia
Viviana Wuthrich, Ph.D., Other (she/her/hers)
Professor
Macquarie University
Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia
Most older adults with anxiety and depression do not receive the treatment they need. With the global population ageing, scalable mental health care for older adults is urgently needed. Internet-delivered CBT (iCBT) is effective in younger populations, but research in older adults is limited. Rising technology access and digital literacy among older adults make iCBT a promising way to overcome barriers related to travel and workforce shortages. Early studies of iCBT have shown promise for treating anxiety and depression in older adults, but have tended to use programs developed for younger adults, and relied heavily on self-report measures rather than diagnostic interviews. This study aimed to co-design a therapist-supported iCBT version of the established Ageing Wisely Program (Ageing Wisely Online; AW Online), and evaluate its efficacy and acceptability in a randomised controlled trial.
AW Online was co-designed with older consumers and clinicians to maximise usability and acceptability. The process of co-design will be described, with demonstrations of features incorporated into the program. Sixty-eight older adults (Aged 65-89 years, M = 70.32, SD = 5.13) with an anxiety and/or depression diagnosis were randomly allocated to receive AW Online or waitlist control. Diagnostic interviews and self-report measures were completed at baseline, post-treatment and 3-month follow-up. AW Online demonstrated excellent acceptability and satisfaction. Participants receiving AW Online showed significantly greater reductions in anxiety and depression severity compared to waitlist on both diagnostic and self-report measures, with large effect sizes. They were eight times more likely to achieve remission of their primary diagnosis by 3-month follow-up compared to waitlist, and remission of all anxiety and depression diagnoses. AW Online also led to significantly greater improvements in quality of life, psychosocial functioning, mental health, and quality of life. Ageing Wisely Online is a highly effective, acceptable and scalable treatment for anxiety and depression in older adults, with broad benefits across symptoms, functioning and wellbeing.