Building Resilience for Surgical Recovery

Launched by THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER, HOUSTON · Dec 8, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial, called BRSR, is exploring the use of problem-solving therapy (PST) for older adults who are preparing for major surgery. The researchers want to find out how easy it is to provide this therapy to patients aged 65 and older who may be feeling depressed or lacking support from family and friends before and after their surgery. Eligible participants are those scheduled for surgeries that require a hospital stay of three days or more, such as orthopedic, thoracic, abdominal, or cardiac procedures.

If you or a loved one are over 65 and are facing major surgery, especially if you're feeling down or lack social support, you may qualify for this study. Participants will receive PST, which is a type of therapy that helps individuals work through problems in a constructive way. It's important to note that individuals with severe cognitive impairment or those who cannot understand English cannot participate. This trial is currently recruiting participants, and it's a great opportunity for older adults to receive support during a challenging time.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion criteria:
• • ≥ 65 years of age on the day of surgery
• • Scheduled major surgery with an anticipated hospital stay of 3+ days. Major operations include: orthopedic, thoracic or abdominal, cardiac procedures
• • Depressive symptoms - Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) screening with a score of 5+, 5-9 being subclinical depression and scores up to 27 indicating increasing depression. If the score is 5-9, we need to have at least one of these items included: "at least one of the endorsed items needs to be depressed mood or diminished activities" (questions #1 and #2)
• Exclusion criteria:
• • Those with severe cognitive impairment - Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) screening with a score of 5+ errors, 5-8 being moderate to severe cognitive impairment
• • Unable to read, speak, and understand English
• • Current alcohol or other substance abuse (scoring 2+ on CAGE questionnaire or answering yes to "Do you currently use any non-prescription drugs or substances?")
• • Life expectancy is 6 months or less