Symposium 35 - Innovations in CBT delivery for Older Adults

Chair(s)

• 

  Carly Johnco, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

  Associate Professor
  Macquarie University
  Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Discussant(s)

• LS

  Louise Sharpe, Ph.D.

  Professor
  University of Sydney
  Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Presenter(s)

• 

  Sherry Beaudreau, ABPP, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

  VA Palo Alto Health Care System/Stanford
  San Bruno, California, United States
• 

  Carly Johnco, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

  Associate Professor
  Macquarie University
  Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
• 

  Viviana Wuthrich, Ph.D., Other (she/her/hers)

  Professor
  Macquarie University
  Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia

Mental health problems in older adults are under-recognised and under-treated. Older adults have among the lowest rates of access to mental health care, with only a small proportion receiving evidence-based psychological treatments such as CBT. Barriers to care include cost, mobility limitations, transport difficulties, and a limited mental health workforce with expertise in later-life mental health. These structural and logistical challenges are further compounded by the normalisation or dismissal of mental health difficulties by both health professionals and older adults themselves. Despite these barriers, CBT demonstrates strong efficacy in older adults, with outcomes comparable to those observed in younger populations. This symposium highlights innovative, flexible CBT delivery models designed to expand access to treatment for older adults while maintaining clinical effectiveness across diverse clinical and service settings.

Presentations will examine the efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of low-intensity, remotely delivered, and stepped care interventions for anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in older adults across diverse clinical settings. The first presentation reports findings from a randomised controlled trial of telephone-delivered, emotion-focused problem-solving therapy for older veterans in the Veterans Affairs service, evaluating effects on suicidal ideation, reasons for living, and functional disability. The second presentation describes the co-design and randomised controlled trial of an internet-delivered CBT intervention targeting late-life anxiety and depression. The third presentation presents results from a multi-site randomised controlled trial of a stepped care model of treatment for anxiety and depression in older adults, implemented across public and private mental health services. Collectively, these studies demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of low-intensity and remotely-delivered interventions for high-risk and underserved older populations, and illustrate how flexible, scalable CBT delivery models can expand access, reduce treatment barriers, and inform future mental health service models for older adults.

Presentations:

• 9:03 AM - 9:22 AM PDT

  (SYM 35) Suicide Prevention for Older Military Veterans: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Problem Solving Therapy for Reducing Suicidal Ideation and Increasing Reasons for Living
  

  Speaker: Sherry A. Beaudreau, ABPP, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – VA Palo Alto Health Care System/Stanford

  Co-Author: Jennifer Funderburk, Ph.D. – Department of Veterans Affairs

  Co-Author: Wilfred Pigeon, PhD – University of Rochester Medical Center

  Co-Author: Julie Lutz, Ph.D. – VA Palo Alto Health Care System

  Co-Author: Dezarie Moskal, PhD – VA Western NY Health Care System

  Co-Author: Beatriz Hernandez, MS (she/her/hers) – VA Palo Alto Health Care System
• 9:22 AM - 9:41 AM PDT

  (SYM 35) Ageing Wisely Online: A Randomised Controlled Trial of Therapist-supported Internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Older Adults with Anxiety and Depression
  

  Speaker: Carly Johnco, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Macquarie University

  Co-Author: Jessamine Chen, Ph.D., Other – Macquarie University

  Co-Author: Ronald Rapee, Ph.D. – Macquarie University

  Co-Author: Michael Jones, Ph.D. – Macquarie University

  Co-Author: Brian Draper, M.D., Ph.D. – University of New South Wales

  Co-Author: Henry Brodaty, M.D., Ph.D. – University of New South Wales

  Co-Author: Jonas Fooken, PhD (he/him/his) – Macquarie University

  Co-Author: Lauren F. McLellan, D. Phil. – Macquarie University

  Co-Author: Viviana Wuthrich, Ph.D., Other (she/her/hers) – Macquarie University
• 9:41 AM - 10:00 AM PDT

  (SYM 35) Using Stepped Care to Increase Access to CBT for Depression and Anxiety in Older Persons (STOP Trial): An Australian Multi-site Trial
  

  Speaker: Viviana Wuthrich, Ph.D., Other (she/her/hers) – Macquarie University

  Co-Author: Henry Cutler, Ph.D. – Macquarie University

  Co-Author: Denise meuldijk, PhD (she/her/hers) – University of New South Wales

  Co-Author: Tina Huang-Smith, Other – Macquarie University

  Co-Author: Katrina Swavley, BPsych(Hons) (she/her/hers) – Macquarie University

  Co-Author: Lauren F. McLellan, D. Phil. – Macquarie University

  Co-Author: Pim Cuijpers, PhD – Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

  Co-Author: Michael Jones, Ph.D. – Macquarie University

  Co-Author: Ronald Rapee, Ph.D. – Macquarie University

  Co-Author: Carly Johnco, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Macquarie University

  Co-Author: Jessamine Chen, Ph.D., Other – Macquarie University

  Co-Author: Henry Brodaty, M.D., Ph.D. – University of New South Wales

  Co-Author: Brian Draper, M.D., Ph.D. – University of New South Wales