Evaluating an intervention program for the elderly.

The effectiveness of mental health group experiences on senior citizen center participants needing such services was assessed through a quasi-experiment involving 68 MH group participants and 31 comparison cases judged not in need to MH services. The evidence indicated substantial increases in social and nonsocial activity, morale, and self-satisfaction. Senior center personnel provided corroborative observations. The changes were such that by the conclusion of the group sessions the "experimentals" had come to function at a level that was indistinguishable from their comparison group. By contrast, 18 elderly needing such mental health services, but attending senior centers where services were unavailable, showed no improvement or declined over time