The Effects of Group Therapy Program on Geriatric Depression in the Elderly in Home

재가노인의 우울예방을 위한 집단프로그램의 효과

Purpose: This purpose of this study was to determine how effective a group therapy program on geriatric depression would be for elders who were living at home. Method: The study followed a quasi-experimental design and participants chosen for the study were elders living at home who had no problems with cognitive function, but excluding those elders who were diagnosed or under treatment for depression. The participants were divided into 2 groups, the experimental group of 16 and the control group of 17. Results: The Group therapy program had significant effects on decreasing depression in the elders. In the experimental group, the level of depression was significantly decreased after the group therapy (t＝-3.873, p=.002). Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that group therapy programs have a positive effect on geriatric depression in elders who live at home. Therefore, the authors expect further studies will be done based on the schematized group program to verify the results of this study for elders living at home in other parts of the country.