Healio (8/20, Gawel) reports a study found that “routine psychological therapy for depression and anxiety is less effective for young adults compared with older adults.” Researchers noted that “prior to treatment, younger adults had lower mean scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale 7-item (GAD-7), compared with older adults.” Later, they observed that “mean PHQ-9 scores fell from 15.7 before treatment to 10.2 afterward for young adults and from 15.9 to 9.4for older adults. Mean GAD-7 scores fell from 14.4 to 9.2 for young adults and from 14.5 to 8.5 for older adults. As patients got older, mean changes in PHQ-9 and GAD-7 symptom scores increased.” Based on the findings, “researchers concluded that younger adults had worse outcomes with psychological treatment than older adults.” The study was published in The Lancet Psychiatry.
Related Links:
— “Psychological therapy less effective among younger adults,” Richard Gawel, Healio, August 20, 2025