Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26429684›Full record

SynthesisThe British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science2015

Psychological treatments for depression and anxiety in dementia and mild cognitive impairment: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Vasiliki Orgeta, Afifa Qazi, Aimee Spector, Martin Orrell

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 76 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
76citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

76 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  13. Vascular cognitive impairment and dementia: Prevention, treatments, mechanisms and management options for the future.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
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16 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Vasiliki OrgetaVasiliki Orgeta, PhD, Division of Psychiatry, University College London; Afifa Qazi, MBBS, MRCPsych, Goodmayes Hospital, North East London Foundation Trust; Aimee Spector, PhD, DClinPsych, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London; Martin Orrell, PhD, Institute of Mental Health, Nottingham, UK v.orgeta@ucl.ac.uk.
Afifa QaziVasiliki Orgeta, PhD, Division of Psychiatry, University College London; Afifa Qazi, MBBS, MRCPsych, Goodmayes Hospital, North East London Foundation Trust; Aimee Spector, PhD, DClinPsych, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London; Martin Orrell, PhD, Institute of Mental Health, Nottingham, UK.
Aimee SpectorVasiliki Orgeta, PhD, Division of Psychiatry, University College London; Afifa Qazi, MBBS, MRCPsych, Goodmayes Hospital, North East London Foundation Trust; Aimee Spector, PhD, DClinPsych, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London; Martin Orrell, PhD, Institute of Mental Health, Nottingham, UK.
Martin OrrellVasiliki Orgeta, PhD, Division of Psychiatry, University College London; Afifa Qazi, MBBS, MRCPsych, Goodmayes Hospital, North East London Foundation Trust; Aimee Spector, PhD, DClinPsych, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London; Martin Orrell, PhD, Institute of Mental Health, Nottingham, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAnxiety and depression are common in people with dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), but there is uncertainty about the effectiveness of both pharmacological and psychological therapies.

aimsTo evaluate the evidence of effectiveness of psychological treatments in treating depression and anxiety in people with dementia and MCI.

methodWe carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of psychological treatment versus usual care in people with dementia and MCI. Primary outcomes were symptoms of anxiety and depression. Secondary outcomes were quality of life, ability to perform daily activities, neuropsychiatric symptoms, cognition and caregivers' self-rated depressive symptoms.

resultsWe included six RCTs, involving 439 participants with dementia, which used cognitive-behavioural therapy, interpersonal therapy, counselling or multimodal interventions including a specific psychological therapy. We found beneficial effects for both depression and anxiety. Overall, the quality of the evidence was moderate for depression and low for anxiety, due to the methodological limitations of the studies we identified and the limited number of trials.

conclusionsThe evidence from six RCTs suggests that psychological treatments are effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety for people with dementia. There is a need for high-quality, multicentre trials including standardised, well-defined interventions.

Indexed as

AnxietyCognitive Behavioral TherapyCognitive DysfunctionCounselingDementiaDepressionHumansPsychiatric Status Rating ScalesPsychotherapyQuality of LifeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID26429684
PMCPMC4589662

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.