As people age, we become more susceptible to certain mental disorders since our cognitive functions begin to deteriorate. With the growing elderly population, certain disorders with higher prevalence in this population would reflect the need for extensive research in order to distinguish the most appropriate approach specific to the disorders. One cognitive impairment disorder afflicting this population in particular is depression. Some research have even suggested depression as a “normal” part of development.(Coleman, 1986) The pervasiveness of depression within the elderly population is well recognized, however, there lacks research in the most effective treatment approach for depression for this population. Depression is often noted as one of the most prevalent disabling affective disorder among the elderly population. (Walter et al., 2007). As the baby boomer population is expected to grow substantially, the need for service within this population would expand significantly. A limited amount of research has been dedicated to examine the different therapeutic approaches in treating a disorder. This suggests the need to challenge and research the most effective treatment modality. Several treatment methods including humour therapy, life-review therapy, art-therapy, reminiscence therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and …show more content…
(Krishna et al., 2011) According to Krishna et al. (2011), group CBT psychotherapy is an effective form of treatment for older people with depression. A meta-analysis of studies with group therapy derived from CBT models, like psychodynamic, interpersonal or supportive therapy, revealed that group therapy was better than any of the control groups but not necessarily better than any other active group receiving treatment. Despite a marginal significance, group therapy received better outcomes than control groups. (Krishna et al.,