Telemedicine-delivered psychotherapy for older adults with major depression is not inferior to in-person treatment, according to a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry. Study participants included 204 veterans over age 58 diagnosed with major depressive disorder.
Participants were divided into two groups, one receiving telemedicine psychotherapy visits and the other receiving traditional in-person sessions. After about one year of treatment, surveys reflected nearly equal responses to effectiveness of treatment between the two groups. Thirty-nine percent of telemedicine patients and 46 percent of in-person patients reported no longer being depressed, a statistically insignificant difference, according to researchers.
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