Internet Delivered Psychotherapy for Older Adults

The goal of this mixed-methods, single-arm intervention study is to develop and evaluate a new internet-delivered psychotherapy option called Ger-iPST in older adults with symptoms of depression.The overall aim of this project is to improve access to psychotherapy for older adults by developing, adapting and implementing a new internet-based treatment option, Ger-iPST. Towards this aim, our objectives are to:Examine the preliminary effectiveness of Ger-iPST for symptoms of depression.Examine barriers and facilitators to the use of Ger-iPST.Participants will be asked to complete 8 weekly online therapy modules (Ger-iPST) through the Online Psycho Therapy Tool (OPTT); each module takes 45-60 minutes, and an extra 20-30 on weekly homework. Caregivers will be invited to assist participants if required.Homework exercises are submitted through the platform, and a clinician trained in PST l will provide personalized, asynchronous online feedback. Participants will receive a weekly phone call from a research assistant to support any technical issues with completing the online modules. Following completion of the Ger-iPST modules, participants will be interviewed to provide feedback on acceptability and barriers and facilitators to the use of Ger-iPST.

Inclusion Criteria:Individuals who are 65 years or olderPresenting with a primary complaint of depression and a Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 score > 5English SpeakingHave internet accessExclusion Criteria:Individuals with acute safety concerns (e.g.suicidal ideation), psychotic symptoms, moderate cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA) < 21) or currently receiving psychotherapy