Experiences and Perceptions of Functional Recovery in Late‐Life Depression: A Qualitative Study

This qualitative study aims to explore patient perspectives and experiences with functional recovery in late-life depression. Purposive sampling was used to include patients (60 years and older) with a depression diagnosis in the past year (in full or partial remission at inclusion). This led to the inclusion of 12 participants. Participants were recruited from an outpatient psychiatric clinic in the Netherlands. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed and analysed using both inductive and deductive thematic analysis. The Social Production Function (SPF) theory was utilised as a framework to deductively categorise themes under the subjective well-being instrumental goals. This study highlights the critical role of stimulation/activation, comfort, affection and aging in functional recovery in late-life depression. Under the theme of stimulation/activation, we found that motivation, participation, balance and structure were considered highly relevant. Affection, in the form of support, maintaining contact with people and cultivating meaningful connections, made a valuable contribution to the functional recovery process. Within the theme of comfort, participants described how comorbidities affected their recovery, requiring adjustment and acceptance. While themes arose that corresponded to status and behavioural confirmation, they were considered less significant to the recovery process. The inductively found theme 'the role of aging' was added to the themes of the SPF framework. It showed that functional recovery from late-life depression could not be understood without the effects of aging. These results show how the SPF theory aligns with older adults' goal of well-being. The findings underscore the need for personalised care focusing on functional recovery and offer a foundation for the evaluation of future interventions.