Abstract
Mechanisms for why problem-solving Interventions with vision-impaired older adults improve depression symptoms remain unclear. We hypothesized that concrete future planning (CFP) and positive problem orientation (PPO) could explain the effectiveness of our 12-week preventive problem solving intervention (PPSI), which combines classroom education and individual sessions. Older adults (N=55, aged 53–97, 55% female, 83% white) who were “bothered by vision loss that can’t be corrected,” participated in a pre-post and follow-up translational study of PPSI. They were independently assessed for depression symptoms (CESD-R), Concrete Future Planning (CFP from the PFC-15, Sörensen & Pinquart,2001), and Positive Problem Orientation (PPO, from the SPSI-R, D’Zurilla,Nezu, Maydeu-Olivares) at baseline, post-test and 3-month follow-up. Repeated measures ANOVAs controlling for age showed significant reduction in depression symptoms and an age*time interaction (p<.05). Only the youngest age group (53–72) showed depression reduction, that persisted at 3-month follow-up. CFP, but not PPO, increased significantly, but neither CFP nor PPO were significantly related to the 3-month depression trajectories. In multiple regression, CFP and PPO did not significantly predict depression symptoms at follow-up when baseline depression was included; omitting baseline depression showed that PPO explained a small but significant amount of variance in depression. Our hypotheses that concrete planning and positive problem orientation would contribute to depression trajectories was not supported in this small sample. However, after intervention, depression decreased, CFP increased, and PPO was related to 3-month depression. Quantifying the dosage of intervention, larger samples, and longer follow-up could further elucidate the role of PPO and CFP in depression outcomes.