SynthesisPloS one2017
Non-pharmacological treatment for depressed older patients in primary care: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
29 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 100 citations in OpenAlex.
- Association Between Physical Activity, Heart Rate Variability and Major Depressive Disorders: An Umbrella Review.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Pooled it
- Shared reading interventions to promote psychosocial well-being in older adults: a systematic review.Health promotion international · 2025Pooled it
- Effectiveness of physiotherapy techniques on depressive symptoms in older adults: a systematic review.Frontiers in public health · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Beyond the Association: Unpacking the Bidirectional Dynamics and Clinical Nuances of Depression and Frailty in Acutely Hospitalized Older Adults.Geriatrics & gerontology international · 2026Article
- A High Geriatric Depression Scale Score on Admission to Hospital Predicts a Worse Clinical Frailty Scale Score After Discharge.Geriatrics & gerontology international · 2026Article
- Psychotherapy for older adults with depression: a narrative review.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026Review
- Transcriptomic Insights into Late-Life Depression and the Role of Environmental Drinking Water Composition: A Study on 18-Month-Old Mice.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Effects of Ketogenic Diet on Quality of Life in Parkinson Disease: An Integrative Review.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Article
- The Use of Phototherapy for the Treatment of Non-Seasonal Depression: A Systematic Review of Efficacy and Safety.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Effects of a health-seeking behavior education program based on motivational interview techniques on health-seeking behaviors, illness self-management, and anxiety in elderly immigrant women: a randomized controlled study.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Drug-Drug Interactions and Initial Dosage Optimization of Quetiapine in Patients with Depression: A Real-World Study.Drug design, development and therapy · 2025Article
- Life review for older adults: an integrative review.Psychogeriatrics : the official journal of the Japanese Psychogeriatric Society · 2024Review
- Pilot trial protocol: community intervention to improve depressive symptoms among Peruvian older adults.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2024Article
- Antidepressant use in relation to dementia risk, cognitive decline, and brain atrophy.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2024Article
- Effect of Dancing Interventions on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Predicting quetiapine dose in patients with depression using machine learning techniques based on real-world evidence.Annals of general psychiatry · 2024Article
- Discontinuation of Antidepressants in Older Adults: A Literature Review.Therapeutics and clinical risk management · 2023Review
- Creativity and art therapies to promote healthy aging: A scoping review.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLate-life depression is most often treated in primary care, and it usually coincides with chronic somatic diseases. Given that antidepressants contribute to polypharmacy in these patients, and potentially to interactions with other drugs, non-pharmacological treatments are essential. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to present an overview of the non-pharmacological treatments available in primary care for late-life depression.
methodThe databases of PubMed, PsychINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were systematically searched in January 2017 with combinations of MeSH-terms and free text words for "general practice," "older adults," "depression," and "non-pharmacological treatment". All studies with empirical data concerning adults aged 60 years or older were included, and the results were stratified by primary care, and community setting. We narratively reviewed the results and performed a meta-analysis on cognitive behavioral therapy in the primary care setting.
resultsWe included 11 studies conducted in primary care, which covered the following five treatment modalities: cognitive behavioral therapy, exercise, problem-solving therapy, behavioral activation, and bright-light therapy. Overall, the meta-analysis showed a small effect for cognitive behavioral therapy, with one study also showing that bright-light therapy was effective. Another 18 studies, which evaluated potential non-pharmacological interventions in the community suitable for implementation, indicated that bibliotherapy, life-review, problem-solving therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy were effective at short-term follow-up. DISCUSSION: We conclude that the effects of several treatments are promising, but need to be replicated before they can be implemented more widely in primary care. Although more treatment modalities were effective in a community setting, more research is needed to investigate whether these treatments are also applicable in primary care.
trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42016038442.
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Registered trials
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.