# 2/3 Lay-delivered Behavioral Activation in Senior Centers

> **NIH NIH R01** · WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV · 2021 · $360,000

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
In response to large numbers of senior center clients who suffer untreated depression and the dearth of
geriatric mental health providers, we have partnered with senior center stakeholders to simplify Behavioral
Activation (BA) to match the skill set of lay volunteers (“Do More, Feel Better”; DMFB).
The lay delivery model: 1. makes use of existing volunteer resources that can address the insufficient
workforce; and 2. has potential for being an acceptable and sustainable delivery model. However, the capacity
of this model to engage the same target (increased activity) and to yield comparable clinical outcomes as
professionally-delivered interventions is yet to be determined in a fully-powered trial.
This Collaborative R01 proposes fully powered randomized effectiveness trial testing the effect of DMFB in
comparison to professionally-delivered BA (MSW BA) on increased activity level (target) and decreased
depressive symptoms.
The specific aims are to: 1. Test the effectiveness of DMFB, in comparison to MSW BA, for depressed (PHQ-
9>10 and Ham-D>14) older adults (>60) on increasing overall activity level (target) and reducing depression
symptoms; and 2. test whether increased activity level predicts greater reduction in depression severity and
whether increased activity's impact on depression is non-inferior across conditions.
Client participants will be a total of 288 older (>60 years) non-psychotic, non-demented individuals with elevated
depressive symptoms from 6 Seattle, 6 New York City, and 6 Tampa area senior centers serving economically
and ethnically diverse communities. Eligible clients will be randomized within senior center to either DMFB
(n=144) or MSW BA (n=144). Two lay volunteers and 2 MSWs per center will provide the intervention.
Our proposal responds to the 2012 IOM report which highlighted the dearth of mental health providers for older
adults and the need to develop a workforce of nontraditional providers. DMFB is a streamlined BA intervention
that has high potential for sustainability by making use of an untapped volunteer resource and supervision
infrastructure within senior centers. Our findings will identify effective interventions for an underserved and
difficult to engage population, our partners in aging services would be pleased to implement either delivery
format of BA to activate depressed older adults.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10107922
- **Project number:** 1R01MH124966-01
- **Recipient organization:** WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV
- **Principal Investigator:** JO ANNE SIREY
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $360,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-12-15 → 2025-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10107922

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10107922, 2/3 Lay-delivered Behavioral Activation in Senior Centers (1R01MH124966-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10107922. Licensed CC0.

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