# A tripartite biopsychosocial intervention program enhances mental health and quality of life in elderly patients with depression secondary to geriatric diseases

## TL;DR

A biopsychosocial program improved mental health and quality of life in elderly patients with depression linked to geriatric diseases.

## Contribution

A tripartite biopsychosocial intervention was tested and shown to be effective in this specific elderly population.

## Key findings

- The intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in depressive symptoms compared to the control group.
- Mental health scores improved more in the intervention group across multiple assessments.
- Quality of life and patient satisfaction were significantly higher in the intervention group after three months.

## Abstract

To evaluate the effectiveness of a tripartite biopsychosocial intervention program on mental health and quality of life in elderly patients with depression secondary to geriatric diseases.

A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted with 166 elderly patients between January 2022 and January 2025. Wards were randomized into an intervention group (n = 83) and a control group (n = 83). The intervention group received a biopsychosocial integrated program, while the control group received standard psychiatric care. Assessments were conducted at baseline and 1, 2, and 3 months post-intervention using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17), Profile of Mood States (POMS), Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), and the Generic Quality of Life Inventory-74 (GQOLI-74). Patient satisfaction was evaluated at 3 months.

The intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in depressive symptoms (Finteraction = 29.003, p < 0.001), with a higher response rate (98.75% vs. 90.24%, p < 0.05). Mental health scores (POMS, FFMQ, MHC-SF) improved more in the intervention group (Finteraction = 143.577, 11.155, 14.658; p < 0.001). At 3 months, GQOLI-74 scores and patient satisfaction were also significantly higher (p < 0.05).

The biopsychosocial intervention significantly improves depression, mental health, and quality of life in elderly patients with geriatric disease-related depression.