depression
Conditions
Interventions
Letters written on A4 paper with some colorful illustrations will be sent in a sealed envelope once a month for eight months. The letter will be composed of two parts: the first part will be a handwri
the second part will be seasonal greetings or news of the month from Kyoto, Japan, where the study authors are located, printed by computer. Kyoto is one of the most famous cultural centers in Japan a
this will be indicated on the reply card.
Control (no intervention)
Sponsors
Field medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto university
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: 65 years of age or older, exhibiting symptoms of depression with a score of ≥ 4 on the self-rated 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale, and reporting that they eat meals alone in the questionnaire
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: Participants will be excluded if they cannot understand and sign the informed consent form. Those who currently reside in a hospital or institution will be excluded.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| The changes in the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale scores | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| self-rated QOL as evaluated by visual analogue scales, self-rated basic ADL, and self-rated advanced ADL, The subjective sense of effectiveness of the intervention, recollection of the number of intervention mailings received, and the number of mailed replies will be evaluated to measure acceptability of the postcard intervention | — |
Countries
Japan
Contacts
Public ContactHissei Imai
The Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University Field Medicine
Outcome results
None listed