Vol. 2, Issue 1, Part A (2025)

Background: Geriatric depression is a growing public health concern, often underdiagnosed and undertreated due to stigma, overlapping somatic symptoms, and inadequate access to mental health services. Mental health nurses are uniquely positioned to address these gaps by providing early detection, psychoeducation, and supportive interventions.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of nurse-led mental health interventions in improving depressive symptoms, treatment adherence, and clinical outcomes among older adults with mild to moderate depression.

Methods: A descriptive and interventional study was conducted among 180 older adults (≥60 years) diagnosed with mild to moderate depression. Participants were allocated to nurse-led intervention or control (standard physician-centered care) groups. The intervention consisted of structured psychoeducation, behavioral activation, supportive counseling, and adherence monitoring over 12 weeks. Outcomes were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. Statistical analysis included independent t-tests, chi-square tests, and effect size calculations.

Results: Participants in the nurse-led group demonstrated significantly greater reductions in mean GDS scores at 6 and 12 weeks compared to controls (P<0.001). Treatment adherence was higher in the nurse-led group (86%) versus the control group (74%) (P<0.001). Clinical response (≥50% GDS reduction) and remission (GDS ≤10) rates were significantly higher in the nurse-led group (P<0.001). The between-group effect size for symptom improvement was large (Cohen’s d=1.07), indicating strong clinical impact.

Conclusion: Nurse-led mental health interventions significantly improve depressive symptoms, adherence, and remission rates in older adults. Integrating trained nurses into mental health care deli can enhance accessibility, continuity, and quality of geriatric depression management. Implementing such models at the primary care and community levels offers a practical, scalable strategy for addressing the growing burden of depression among older populations.