Zvi D. Gellis, PhD
Research Interests
Gerontology
Geriatrics
Evidence-Based Depression & Anxiety Interventions
Integrated Health & Mental Health Care
Telehealth interventions
Randomized Trials
Dr. Gellis directs the Penn Center for Mental Health & Aging Research. The Center conducts rigorous applied research on geriatric mental health services in home health and behavioral health settings, and provides training in cognitive behavioral interventions.
- Dr. Gellis is a John A. Hartford Foundation National Faculty Scholar/ Research Mentor and a known expert in geriatric mental health services research, telehealth interventions, and cognitive behavioral therapy.
- His primary area of research is late life depression, telehealth technology, and integrated health and mental health services. His research has contributed to efforts to improve depression care for homebound medically ill older adults.
- Dr. Gellis directs the Penn Aging Certificate (PAC), part of the Geriatric Social Work Initiative and is funded by the Hartford and Met Life Foundations.
- Dr. Gellis is Principal Investigator of the federally-funded VAMC-Social Work Mental Health Training model known as the VAMC-PEARLS program that clinically prepares students to serve veteran populations within the VA system. This program will morph into the Cohen Veterans Network Scholars Program.
- Dr. Gellis is an expert trainer in Problem Solving Therapy (PST), an evidence-based cognitive behavioral treatment for depression. Dr. Gellis’s intervention research includes studies of older adults including those medically ill, homebound, and depressed (Gellis et al, 2008; Gellis & Bruce, 2010; Gellis, Kenaley, McGinty et al., 2012; Gellis, Z.D., Kenaley, B., & Ten Have, T., 2014).
- Dr. Gellis served as the national Chair of the Geriatric Mental Health Research Reviews committee at the Council on Social Work Education. Drs. Gellis and McCracken implemented a state-of-the art curriculum module series used in social work schools across the nation.
- Dr. Gellis served on the New York State’s Interagency Planning Council for Geriatric Mental Health Services
- Dr. Gellis was internationally recognized for his research in gerontology at the international Social Work in Health and Mental Health Conference in China.
- Dr. Gellis (co-author) and Dr. Roberta Sands have published Clinical social work in behavioral mental health: An evidence-based approach (2012) Pearson, which is being translated into Chinese.
Contact
Phone
office: 215.746.5487
fax: 215.573.2099
Address
3718 Locust Walk, McNeil Building
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6214
About
Department(s)
Faculty | Retired FacultyProgram(s)
MSW | PhDPublications
Clinical Social Work in Behavioral Mental Health: An Evidenced-Based Approach
Roberta Sands & Zvi D. Gellis
Sands, R., & Gellis, Z.D. (2012). Clinical social work in behavioral mental health: An evidenced-based approach, (3rd edition). Needham Heights, MA: Pearson, Allyn & Bacon.
Clinical Social Work in Behavioral Mental Health: An Evidenced-Based Approach is available here.
Selected Publications
Gregory, C., & Gellis, Z.D. (2020) Problem solving therapy for Home-Hospice caregivers: A pilot study. Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care, 16(4), 297-312, DOI: 10.1080/15524256.2020.1800554
Gellis, Z.D., & Kenaley, B.M. (in press). Geriatric depression: Assessment and intervention. In L. Rapp-McCall (Ed.) Oxford Social Work Desk Reference, 4rth edition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Russell, A.R., Kim, E., Handy, F., & Gellis, Z.D. (2020). Formal vs. informal volunteering and well-being: Does volunteering type matter for older adults? Voluntary Sector Review, 11(3), 317-336. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1332/204080520X15874538219286
Kenaley, B., Gellis, Z.D., Kim, E., & McClive-Reed, K. (2019). The influence of humor and spirituality on the resiliency of community-dwelling older adults. Innovation in Aging, 3, 940-945. DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igz038.3420
Kim, E., Gellis, Z.D., Bradway, C., & Kenaley, B. (2018). Key determinants to using telehealth technology to serve medically ill and depressed homebound older adults. Journal of Gerontological Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2018.1499575
Gellis, Z.D., Kim, E., Hadley, D., Packel, L., Poon, C., Forceia, M., Bradway, C., Streim, J., Seman, J., Hayden, T., & Johnson, J. (2018). Effectiveness of interprofessional health care team communication simulation in geriatrics palliative care. Gerontology and Geriatrics Education. DOI: 10.1080/02701960.2018.1505617
Kim, E., Gellis, Z.D., Bradway, C., Kenaley, B. (2018). Depression care services and telehealth technology use for homebound elderly in the United States. Aging and Mental Health Journal, 22. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2018.1481925
Erdley-Kass, S., Kass, D., Gellis, Z.D., Bogner, H., Berger, A., & Perkins, R.M. (2018). Using Problem-Solving Therapy to improve problem-solving orientation, problem solving skills and quality of life in older hemodialysis patients. Clinical Gerontologist, 41(5), 424-437.
Gellis, Z.D., & Kim, E.G. (2017). Training social work students to recognize later-life depression. Is standardized patient simulation effective? Gerontology & Geriatrics Education. 38(4), 425-437.
McClive-Reed, K., & Gellis, Z.D. (2017). Psychological distress and help-seeking by residents of a neighborhood naturally occurring retirement community. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 59 (7-8), 572-586.
Gellis, Z.D. (2017). Telehealth and telecare interventions: a review In K. Corcoran (Ed.) Social Work Desk Reference, 3rdedition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Gellis, Z.D. & Kim, E. (2017). Evidence-based practice in older adults with mental health
disorders. In K. Corcoran (Ed.) Social Work Desk Reference, 3rd edition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Gellis, Z.D. (2016). Telemental health. In N. Pachana (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. NY:Springer.
Gellis, Z.D. & Kenaley, B. (2015). Mental health and emotional disorders among older adults. In B. Berkman & D. Kaplan (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Social Work in Health and Aging. New York: Oxford University Press.
Kim, E.H., Gellis, Z.D., & Hoak,V. (2015). Perception & use of integrated telehealth care among home health care agencies: A pilot survey, Home Health Care Services Quarterly, 34, (3-4), 220-231
Gellis, Z.D., Kenaley, B., & Ten Have, T. (2014). Randomized trial of integrated telehealth care for chronic illness and depression in geriatric homecare patients: The I-TEAM study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 62(5), 889-895.
Gellis, Z.D., Solomon, P., Wiesel-Cullen S., Lukens, J., Gleba, J., Huz, S., & Zalucki, D. (2014) Disseminating and implementing evidence-based depression care in community-based geriatrics clinics and social service organizations. Best Practices in Mental Health Journal, 10(1), 1-15.
Erdley, S.D, Gellis, Z.D., Bogner, H.A., Kass, D.S., Green, J.A., & & Perkins, R.M. (2014). Problem-solving therapy to improve depressions scores among older hemodialysis outpatients: A pilot randomized trial. Clinical Nephrology, 82(1), 26-33.
Gellis, Z.D., & Kang-Yi, C. (2012). Meta-analysis of cardiac rehabilitation interventions on depression outcomes among older adults. American Journal of Cardiology, 110( 9), 1219-1224.
Gellis, Z.D., Kenaley, B., McGinty, J., Bardelli, E., Davitt, J, & Ten Have, T. (2012) Impact of telehealth intervention on heart and chronic respiratory failure medically ill patients. The Gerontologist 52, 541-552.
Gellis, Z.D. & Nezu, A.T. (2011). Integrating depression treatment for homebound medically ill older adults: Using evidence-based Problem-Solving Therapy. In K. Sorocco, & S. Lauderdale (Eds.), Implementing Cognitive Behavior Therapy with older adults: innovations across care settings (391-420). New York: Springer. Click here to download chapter.
McClive-Reed, K., & Gellis, Z.D. (2011). Anxiety and related symptoms in older persons with Dementia: Directions for practice. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 54(1), 6-28.
Gellis, Z.D., & Bruce, M.L. (2010). Problem solving therapy for subthreshold depression in home healthcare patients with cardiovascular disease. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 18, 464-474.
Kang-Yi, C.D., & Gellis, Z.D. (2010). Systematic review of community-based health interventions on depression for older adults with heart disease. Aging and Mental Health, 14(1), 1-19.
Gellis, Z.D. (2010). Assessment of a brief CES-D measure for depression in homebound medically ill older adults. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 53(4), 289-303.
Gellis, Z.D. (2009). Evidence-based practice in older adults with mental health disorders. In A. Roberts (Ed.) Social Work Desk Reference, 2nd edition, (pp.843-852). New York: Oxford University Press.
Gellis, Z.D., McClive, K., & Brown, E. (2009). Treatments for depression in older persons with dementia. Annals of Long Term Care, 17(2), 29-36.
Gellis, Z.D., & Kenaley, B. (2008). Problem solving therapy for depression in adults: A systematic review. Research on Social Work Practice, 18, 117-131.
Gellis, Z D., McGinty, J., Horowitz, A., Bruce, M., & Misener, E. (2007). Problem solving therapy for late life depression in home care elderly: A randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 15(11), 968-978.
Brown, E.L., Kaiser, R.M., Gellis, Z.D. (2007). Screening and assessment of late life depression in home health care: Issues and challenges. Annals of Long-Term Care, 15(10), 27-32.