Collaborative Stepped Care and Peer Support Programme for Older People At-Risk of or With Depression

"For at-risk group, 4 weeks of selective prevention group sessions will be provided at the elderly service level by trained peer supporters with registered social worker supervision, on wellness topics tailored to the person's concern as entry point, packaged with mental health information, followed by a review.~For mild group, 6-8 weeks of indicated prevention with psychoeducation or low-intensity psychotherapy would be provided. For moderate group, 6-8 weeks high-intensity cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) would be provided. All intervention for depressed elderly would be conducted by registered social workers. The trained peer supporters will be matched to individual older adults to walk them through the process with regular follow-up for 1 year."

The control group will receive treatment as usual, which will be determined by the responsible workers from NGO units.