A study at the Baylor College of Medicine found that older pe
ople who had cognitive behavior therapy reported significantly improved symptoms of general anxiety disorder and depression, nearly doubling the improvement found in those who received normal care.
The results of the research may be beneficial in other aspects of senior life, too: medications used to treat anxiety in older people can lead to side effects associated with falls and fractures.
"This study is the first to suggest that CBT can be useful for managing worry and associated symptoms among older patients in primary care," noted the study authors, and may help the estimated 7.2 percent of seniors overall, and 11.2 percent in primary care, who suffer from the disorder.
Some studies have linked major depression with the onset of Alzheimer's disease, with 20 percent of sufferers reporting major depressive symptoms as well.
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