Life Enhancement Counseling and the Treatment of Depressed Cuban American Elders

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Abstract
This article reports on a demonstration project designed to develop a psychosocial model of services for treating depressed Cuban American elders. Data were collected to identify client variables (age, sex, time in the United States, and education) and treatment variables (life enhancement counseling, medication, and number of sessions) that are differentially predictive of treatment effectiveness with depressed Hispanic elders. Data are reported on a sample of 100 elders. Treatment effectiveness was measured using a factorially derived composite criterion. Residualized gain scores and factor-analytic techniques were used to conduct an analysis of the outcome criteria structures and to create the outcome composite. Multiple-regression techniques were employed to identify client and treatment variables differentially predictive of treatment effectiveness. The results of these analyses indicated that treatment success was independent of client variables, while two treatment variables, extent of life enhancement counseling and medication, were significantly predictive of treatment outcome.