NOTEPAD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
NOn-Traditional providers to support the management of Elderly People with Anxiety and Depression (NOTEPAD): a feasibility study.
IRAS ID
200375
Contact name
Carolyn Chew-Graham
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Keele University.
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 31 days
Research summary
There is evidence to suggest that older people with anxiety and/or depression may benefit both from one-to-one interventions (including befriending) and group social or educational activities, which reduce loneliness, are participatory and offer some activity. Non-traditional providers (NTPs), working within third (voluntary) sector organizations, are a valuable source of expertise and resource within the community but are under-utilized by primary care practitioners. Such a resource could increase access to care, and be less stigmatizing and more acceptable for older people. This study aims to test whether NTPs can deliver a simple psychosocial intervention (which has already been developed by members of the research team) to older people with anxiety and/or depression.
The study is in three phases. In phase 1 (which is now complete), we have synthesized results from an updated systematic review, new empirical qualitative research findings, and existing guidelines to refine an existing psychosocial intervention [based on the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and including Behavioural Activation (BA)] that is deliverable by NTPs for older people with anxiety and/or depression. This protocol and NHS ethics application outlines phases 2 and 3:
• Phase 2 will assess the feasibility of recruiting and training third sector practitioners to be able to deliver the psychosocial intervention refined in Phase 1 to older people with anxiety and/or depression.
• Phase 3 comprises a feasibility study to evaluate whether we can recruit general practices and patients into the study, whether NTPs can deliver the intervention to older people, with sufficient fidelity; whether this approach is acceptable to patients, general practitioners and the third sector providers, and gather data to inform a definitive randomized controlled trial.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NW/0552
Date of REC Opinion
16 Aug 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion