Improvement in activities of daily living in elderly following treatment for post-bereavement depression.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if elderly bereaved depressed subjects display difficulty with activities of daily living (ADL) and if their ADL difficulty improves with psychopharmacologic intervention.


METHODS
The Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS), an ADL assessment measuring ADL motor and ADL process skills, was administered to a pilot sample of elderly persons with post-bereavement depression prior to psychopharmacologic intervention and subsequently during treatment response.


RESULTS
In the pretreatment phase, subjects displayed difficulty with ADL motor and ADL process skills that significantly improved during the treatment response phase.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that elderly bereaved depressed individuals demonstrated ADL difficulty that responds positively to psychopharmacologic intervention.
Oakley
F
F
Occupational Therapy Section, Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA. foakley@nih.gov
Khin
N A
NA
Parks
R
R
Bauer
L
L
Sunderland
T
T
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001601:Bereavement; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009661:Nortriptyline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D020280:Sertraline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D009661:Nortriptyline; D020280:Sertraline