The Efficacy of Individual Psychological Interventions With Non-Clinical Older Adults

Abstract

Abstract. A number of reviews and meta-analyses have consistently documented the positive effect of individual psychological intervention with clinical older adults suffering from late-life depression, anxiety disorders, or other mental illnesses. However, many older adults without clinical disorders might seek and benefit from individual psychological interventions too. Given the aging populations across the globe, knowing the potential efficacy of individual psychological interventions with non-clinical older adults therefore is important. However, the research on this topic has not been reviewed systematically. This was the primary aim of the present review. Secondarily, we wanted to find out how many of these studies were conducted in a European context. A systematic literature search identified nine eligible studies yielding an aggregated sample size of 983. Two of these were European. Eight of the nine studies (including one European) reported significant positive effects of individual psychological interventions, that is, increases in psychological well-being and decreases in depression symptoms and distress. Effect sizes were extracted or calculated when possible to estimate the magnitude of the intervention effects. These effect sizes varied across studies and ranged from trivial in size to large and even very large, the median being a medium effect size. The results from the present review suggest that non-clinical older adults benefit from individual psychological interventions. However, the limited number of studies available for review precludes conclusions regarding the comparative efficacy of different types of psychological interventions in this population. Directions for future research are discussed.