VOICES Socials for Older Veterans with Depression

Older Veterans suicide rates are 1.7 times greater than the general population of the same age and they have a higher prevalence of depression. Moreover, older adults with depression are more likely to have impairments in functioning across multiple health and social domains than their civilian counterparts. Depression later in life is related to premature death, and impaired physical, cognitive and social functioning. Specifically, older Veterans with depression tend to disengage and withdraw from social engagements, which interferes with maintaining and creating interpersonal relationships and subsequent positive externalities (e.g., mood- enhancing benefits or social activity). Further, this social withdrawal impedes the protective health effects gained through frequent positive social contact with the same individuals (i.e., social support). Currently, there are few models for community-based social support once individuals separate from military service. However, VOICES Veterans Socials is a peer-led weekly social group based in the community designed to promote sustainable social support among Veterans. The proposed SPiRE will involve three aims: 1) Adapting training and intervention materials for VOICES Veterans Socials to serve older Veterans with depression through individual interviews (n= 13) with older Veterans with depression, and regular meetings with an expert advisory panel; 2) Conducting an open trial (n = 20) with a focus on feasibility (e.g., fidelity, retention and acceptability) over the four-month intervention that includes pre-treatment, post-treatment, and follow-up assessments and interviews; and 3) Completing final revisions of the adapted VOICES Veterans Social manual for a future grant application, dissemination, and randomized clinical trial. This pilot project is significant and innovative in three key respects: (1) it extends services into the community based on previous research to address both psychiatric and social concerns for Veterans with depression; (2) is potentially cost-effective and easy to disseminate nationally, as there are over 85 transdiagnostic versions of VOICES Veterans Socials in the U.S.; and (3) focuses on improving older Veterans’ social functioning and mental health differently than current VA offerings. Results from this pilot project will inform the development of a Merit Review application for a randomized clinical trial.