Shade - Older Australians

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LoginLab Researchers

Prof. Frances Kay-Lambkin

Status Update:

Completed

About

Depression, alcohol use and social isolation act concurrently to increase the risk of suicide in older Australians (60 years and over).

There is a desperate need for effective, tailored psychological treatments for depression, alcohol use, social isolation and suicide to be developed, tested, and widely disseminated to the older aged Australian population.

We have developed the only evidence-based online intervention for the treatment of depression and alcohol use (SHADE), incorporating the gold standard psychological treatment strategies for these conditions. In our pilot studies, SHADE demonstrates superior outcomes to face to face, cognitive behavioural therapy treatments.

We have also developed a social networking site (Breathing Space), demonstrated in younger Australians to improve social connectedness, treatment uptake, and outcomes for depression and alcohol misuse. 

Aim

Our project aims to address known risk factors of suicide in older Australians (depression and alcohol use) and bolster a known protective factor, social connectedness, using a novel, web-based intervention approach.

The project will yield meaningful data on the efficacy of this intervention to provide a case for support in the translation of this project into clinical practice. This intervention program is scalable and able to be delivered across regional, rural and urban areas.

why

The SHADE project has been designed to help us work out what level of treatment works best for older Australians with symptoms of depression and hazardous alcohol use. What we know from the research already is that more does not necessarily equal better, and that people in different age groups and situations do better with different types (face-to-face versus internet delivered) and lengths (fewer or greater number of sessions) of treatment. The SHADE project is aiming to test the effectiveness of an innovative social networking community for older Australians with the addition of an internet delivered evidence-based psychological treatment for improving depression and hazardous alcohol use (SHADE).

Click on the Image below to Visit our new SHADE PLUS website

Results

This is an ongoing research project. Please keep an eye out for our results and papers being published related to this study.