Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

A single-case design investigation for measuring the efficacy of Gestalt therapy to treat depression in older adults with dementia in Italy and in Mexico: a research protocol

Alessandra Merizzi
* ORCID logo ,
Rosanna Biasi
ORCID logo ,
José Fernando Álvarez Zamudio
ORCID logo ,
Margherita Spagnuolo Lobb
ORCID logo ,
Sara Santini
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Version 1 : Received: 18 January 2022 / Approved: 19 January 2022 / Online: 19 January 2022 (09:32:12 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Merizzi, A.; Biasi, R.; Zamudio, J.F.Á.; Spagnuolo Lobb, M.; Di Rosa, M.; Santini, S. A Single-Case Design Investigation for Measuring the Efficacy of Gestalt Therapy to Treat Depression in Older Adults with Dementia in Italy and in Mexico: A Research Protocol. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 3260. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063260 Merizzi, A.; Biasi, R.; Zamudio, J.F.Á.; Spagnuolo Lobb, M.; Di Rosa, M.; Santini, S. A Single-Case Design Investigation for Measuring the Efficacy of Gestalt Therapy to Treat Depression in Older Adults with Dementia in Italy and in Mexico: A Research Protocol. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 3260. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063260

Abstract

Psychotherapy is one of the evidence-based clinical interventions for the treatment of depression in older adults with dementia. Randomized Controlled Trials are often the first methodological choice to gain evidence, yet they are not applicable to a wide range of humanistic psychotherapies. Amongst all, the efficacy of the Gestalt therapy (GT) is under-investigated. The purpose of this paper is to present a research protocol aiming to assess the effects of a GT-based intervention on people with dementia (PWD) and the indirect influence on their family carers. The study implements the Single-Case Experimental Design with Time-Series Analysis that will be carried out in Italy and Mexico. Ten people in each country, who received a diagnosis of dementia and present depressive symptoms, will be recruited. Eight or more GT sessions will be provided whose fidelity will be assessed by the GT Fidelity Scale. Quantitative outcome measures are foreseen for monitoring participants’ depression, anxiety, quality of life, carers’ burden, and the caregiving dyad mutuality, at baseline and follow-up. The advantages and limitations of the research design are considered. If GT will result effective in the treatment of depression in PWD, it could enrich the range of evidence-based interventions provided by healthcare services.

Keywords

Gestalt therapy; dementia; depression; single-case experimental design; psychosocial interventions

Subject

Social Sciences, Psychology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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