Meaningful lives: elders in treatment for depression

This study used a qualitative approach and was conducted to gain insights into the lives of elders with depression that could eventually lead to improvements in treatment strategies for this population. Twenty elders described a typical day in their lives. Using a multistep analysis of the interviews, six themes emerged: independence, spirituality, family relationships, depression, medical comorbidities, and motivation. A perspective of the process of elders finding meaning in their lives was explicated such that characteristics of independence, motivation, and spirituality enabled these elders to identify their need for treatment and to cope with their comorbidities. During treatment, these elders began to appreciate their experiences of social and family relationships and began to be able to appreciate the meaning inherent in their lived experience. Developing the role of the clinician as coordinator of health care and the appropriateness of MI as a treatment strategy were presented as possible avenues to improving treatment for elders with depression.