A Mix of Faith and Treatment Can Work for Seniors

A study from Baylor College of Medicine finds depressed seniors can benefit by incorporating spiritual faith into their traditional treatments, reports the Houston Chronicle . "It's important to pay attention to the role religion plays in the lives of older adults," said Baylor Professor Mark Kunik. He observed that seniors are less likely to see psychiatrists and more likely to prefer mental health via their religion. The researchers looked at 277 homebound seniors with depression, many of whom were minorities. Some subjects participated in hour-long video sessions, either focused on problem-solving therapy or behavioral therapy. In the second instance, religious individuals could opt to read the Bible or watch sermons on TV. The video sessions were found to be effective, and religious coping skills are more frequent among women and African-American participants. According to Kunik, religious individuals could benefit from counseling by clergy members.