The use of alternative therapies to treat geriatric depression

INTERVENTION: Experimental conditions: Music therapy and animal‐assisted therapy will each be presented by accredited therapists twice weekly to small groups (N = 5) for four weeks, yielding a total of eight therapeutic sessions. Therapy session will last approximately 45 minutes. Music therapy will comprise listening to preferred music, singing, and playing percussion instruments. Animal‐assisted therapy will comprise activities with a temperament‐tested dog, such as patting, grooming, playful interaction and watching the animal perform tricks. Participants assigned to either treatment will continue to receive diversional activities already in place at their respective facilities. Control condition: The non‐intervention control group will continue to receive diversional activities already in place at the respective facilities, but will not receive an additional treatment. Post‐intervention measures will be taken the week after the interventions have been completed and post‐testing will take one week to complete per facility. CONDITION: Depression ; Mental and Behavioural Disorders ; Depression PRIMARY OUTCOME: 1. Affective: symptoms of depression will be measured with the mood disorder module of the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (SCID‐IV‐TR) and the GDS; 2. Cognitive: general cognitive status will be assessed using the SMMSE. The more specific domain of executive functioning will be assessed using the Trail Making Test Part A and B, Digit‐Symbol Coding and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWA). ; 3. General health and well‐being: assessed using the Australia Quality of Life (AQoL) Scale. Pain will be assessed the Present Pain Index (PPI) and the Modified Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (MCIRS).; ; All outcomes will be measured over the course of four days prior to the four week intervention period and in the week following treatment. SECONDARY OUTCOME: Neurophysiological measures: ; Two EEG components will be explored. First, previous research has indicated that depression is associated with relative left frontal asymmetry and that pharmacological and psychological treatment for depression may normalise this brain activity pattern. Second, abnormal P300 responses (such as reduced amplitude and increased latency) have also been observed in individuals with depression. Given these findings, this study will explore the effect of alternative therapies on the topographic distribution of spectral power and the amplitude and latency of the P300 evoked potential. ; ; All outcomes will be measured over the course of four days prior to the four week intervention period and in the week following treatment. INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Adults (65+ years), either sex 2. A score of at least 20 on the Standardised Mini Mental Status Examination (SMMSE) 3. A score of at least 5 on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) 4. English fluency