Psychotherapeutic treatments in late life.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To assess recent research in psychotherapies for the elderly.

RECENT FINDINGS: There is preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of cognitive-behaviour therapy in panic disorder, and problem-solving therapy in depression with cognitive impairment. Significant advances have been made showing the benefits of cognitive-behaviour therapy in the medically ill. Examples of public and private psychotherapy services are also described.

SUMMARY: There remain many virgin territories awaiting exploration. Psychotherapists and researchers working with the elderly are encouraged to report case studies and to embark on randomized controlled trials. Cognitive-behaviour therapy is the dominant paradigm, but other therapies, such as interpersonal psychotherapy and brief psychodynamic psychotherapy, are also worthy of further study.