Perceptions and barriers about mental health services among Pacific Islanders: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Every year, millions of Americans do not receive needed mental health (MH) services. Although Pacific Islanders (PI) have a high need for MH services, this group has the lowest rate of MH care help seeking. This is especially concerning as the rate of suicide has been increasing within the PI community. This study explored how Pacific Islanders think about MH supports, including their attitudes toward and perceptions of barriers to receiving MH services. An interpretative phenomenological analysis focus group study was conducted with cross-generational Pacific Islanders residing in one western state. The findings include (a) PI perceptions that MH help seeking results in family burdensomeness, stigma, and shame; (b) negotiating PI social customs and beliefs related to MH help seeking, care, and support; and (c) PI mistrust of institutional resources. These themes seemed to interact with each other and create perpetuate barriers which prevent help-seeking behaviors. Clinical and research implications will be provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Characteristics and Outcomes of School Social Work Services: A Scoping Review of Published Evidence 2000-June 2022.

School social workers are integral to the school mental health workforce and the leading social service providers in educational settings. In recent decades, school social work practice has been largely influenced by the multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) approach, ecological systems views, and the promotion of evidence-based practice. However, none of the existing school social work reviews have examined the latest characteristics and outcomes of school social work services. This scoping review analyzed and synthesized the focuses and functions of school social workers and the state-of-the-art social and mental/behavioral health services they provide. Findings showed that in the past two decades, school social workers in different parts of the world shared a common understanding of practice models and interests. Most school social work interventions and services targeted high-needs students to improve their social, mental/behavioral health, and academic outcomes, followed by primary and secondary prevention activities to promote school climate, school culture, teacher, student, and parent interactions, and parents' wellbeing. The synthesis also supports the multiple roles of school social workers and their collaborative, cross-systems approach to serving students, families, and staff in education settings. Implications and directions for future school social work research are discussed.

All Things Considered: Examining Mentoring Relationships Between White Mentors and Black Youth in Community-Based Youth Mentoring Programs.

Background: Community-based youth mentoring programs are popular interventions that serve a large number of Black youths throughout the country. Interestingly, the majority of mentors who volunteer their time for mentoring organizations identify as non-Hispanic White. This study examines how White mentors address topics acknowledging ethnic/racial identity and issues centered around social justice and recognize their own privileges when mentoring Black youth in community-based youth mentoring programs. Objective: The aims of the current study were to examine: (a) whether and how White volunteer mentors address ethnic/racial identity, racial socialization, and oppression in the mentoring relationship and (b) how White mentors' awareness of their own positionality and privilege impacted how they addressed ethnic/racial identity, racial socialization, and oppression in the mentoring relationship with Black youth. Method: Utilizing a constructivist grounded theory approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 current and former mentors from six different Big Brothers Big Sisters community-based mentoring programs across the United States. Results: Findings reveal that some mentors felt uncomfortable discussing issues centered around race and others do not think it is relevant at all. Further, findings demonstrated that mentoring Black youth significantly impacts mentors' perceived awareness of social issues and acknowledgment of privileges they hold. Conclusions: Current findings highlight the need for youth mentoring programs to provide training and resources to help White mentors discuss implications of race and broader social justice issues with the Black youth they mentor.

Simultaneous alcohol and marijuana use among college students in the United States, 2006-2019.

Objective: Simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use exposes college students to a myriad of adverse consequences. However, there is no recent nationally representative study on SAM use among college students in the United States (US). To provide an update to the literature, the present study aimed to examine the trends, prevalence, and correlates of SAM use among US college students between 2006 and 2019, using nationally representative data. Method: We used data from the 2006-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and the analytic sample was limited to the 55,669 full-time college student respondents (ages 18-22). Using logistic regression analysis, we assessed trends in SAM use prevalence and examined sociodemographic and psycho-social-behavioral correlates of SAM use. Results: The proportion of US college students who reported SAM use increased significantly from 8.13% (2006-2010) to 8.44% (2015-2019). However, examination by race/ethnicity revealed that the increasing trend was largely driven by Black college students, whose SAM use prevalence increased significantly from 5.50% (2006-2010) to 9.30% (2015-2019), reflecting a 69.09% increase. SAM use rates did not change significantly among other racial/ethnic groups. Conclusions: This study uncovered an upward trend and prevalence of SAM use among US college students, calling for more research and public health interventions in this area. At-risk subgroups that warrant more attention include college students who are Black, female, above the legal drinking age, have a lower than $20,000 household income, and reside in small metropolitan areas.

Who benefits from Two Way Prayer Meditation? Treatment effect moderators in a pilot randomized controlled trial of a spiritual intervention for people with substance use disorders.

Background: Two Way Prayer Meditation (TWPM) is a spiritual intervention that holds promise for improving the psychospiritual well-being of individuals in recovery from substance use disorders (SUD). This study aimed to identify moderators of TWPM's treatment effects. Moderators tested included gender, race/ethnicity, age, education, religious/spiritual affiliation, and most often used substance. Methods: This study employed a randomized controlled trial design with pretest and posttest. In total, 134 adults in four residential recovery programs participated in the study and were randomly assigned to the TWPM group or the treatment as usual control group. Linear mixed modeling was used to assess the moderating effect of each hypothesized moderator in the form of interaction tests. Sensitivity analyses were conducted by excluding cases with more than a minimum number of missing items. Results: There were no significant moderators for psychological distress, self-esteem, and most of the spiritual well-being outcomes. Both the primary and sensitivity analyses showed education significantly moderated TWPM's effect on overall spirituality self-ranking. Specifically, TWPM's positive effect on overall spirituality self-ranking was greater in the master's degree subgroup than in the less than high school subgroup. Conclusion: TWPM's treatment effects on most outcomes were not found to vary by the tested participant characteristics. The only statistically significant finding suggests clinicians may need to adjust TWPM workshop/teaching content, delivery style, or language used to reach clients with lower levels of education. Future better-powered studies are recommended to continue exploring the potential moderating effects of race/ethnicity, education, spiritual/religious affiliation, and most often used substance.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy for Substance Use: A Review of the Literature.

Substance use is a prevalent public health issue. Most social workers may encounter substance use in their work with clients and need effective therapeutic strategies for this issue. Since the 1980s, solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) has been practiced with clients who have substance use problems, and clinical training materials have been developed to help practitioners learn and use SFBT in substance use treatment. Despite the longevity of the use of SFBT in practice, there are no published reviews of outcome studies to guide practitioners using SFBT. This article fills a gap in current literature on SFBT and substance use treatment by reviewing the published studies on SFBT where the focus was on substance use treatment. Five databases were searched to identify eligible studies. Experts and reference lists of relevant studies were also consulted. Nine studies were identified and included in the review. All studies reviewed found promising evidence on SFBT's effectiveness in improving substance use behaviors and related psychosocial problems. Five of the nine studies reviewed showed that SFBT can change substance use and comorbid mental health and psychosocial problems such as depression, trauma, and school- and work-related behavior problems. The article concludes with a discussion of the study results' implications for clinical practice and future research.

Social work leadership in a medical school: A coordinated, compassionate COVID-19 response.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the systemic inequities in our health care system and society has called for actions to meet the clinical, psychosocial and educational needs in health care settings and communities. In this paper we describe how an organized Department of Health Social Work in a medical school played a unique role in responding to the challenges of a pandemic with community, clinical, and educational initiatives that were integral to our community's health.

Efficacy of two-way prayer meditation in improving the psychospiritual well-being of people with substance use disorders: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background: The study goal was to conduct a preliminary evaluation of a spiritual intervention called Two Way Prayer Meditation's (TWPM) effectiveness on the psychological distress, self-esteem, and spiritual well-being of people with substance use disorders. Methods: This study employed a randomized controlled trial design with pretest and posttest. In total, 134 adults in four residential recovery programs participated in the study and were randomly assigned to either the TWPM group or the treatment as usual group. Primary and sensitivity analyses were conducted using linear mixed modeling. Hedges's g was used to estimate treatment effect sizes. Results: Both primary and sensitivity analyses found significant treatment effects on daily spiritual experiences (Hedges's g = 0.62), reliance on God (g = 0.49), private religious practice (g = 0.36), and positive religious/spiritual coping (g = 0.68). Treatment effects on psychological distress (g = 0.33), self-esteem (g = 0.41), and overall spirituality self-ranking (g = 0.32) reached significance in the primary analysis but not in the sensitivity analysis. Conclusions: This study found evidence of TWPM's effectiveness in improving some aspects of the spiritual well-being of adults with substance use disorders. TWPM was also found to be promising in decreasing psychological distress and increasing self-esteem.

Room Temperature Intrinsic Emission Ratio of BSA Correlates With Percent Aggregates During Long-Term Storage.

Successful formulation development hinges on the ability to screen and identify excipients that stabilize drug products during long-term storage. Biophysical and accelerated stability studies are used to screen for excipients that stabilize protein drug products. However, these studies are not always predictive of aggregation during long-term storage. In this study, we used multivariate experimentation to compare the effectiveness of intrinsic fluorescence and size exclusion chromatography accelerated stability parameters to predict excipients that stabilized bovine serum albumin (BSA) against aggregation on long-term storage at 4 °C. Emission intensity ratio (IR330/350) data was more sensitive than emission maxima (λmax) or intensity measurements in identifying significant factors and interactions. We observed the expected inverse correlation between the mid-points of fluorescence thermal transitions (Tms) and insoluble aggregates at 4 and 40 °C. However, there were positive correlations between Tms and % aggregates at 4 °C, indicating that if Tm was used as a predictive tool, it would select formulations that promoted soluble aggregates on long-term storage. Ambient temperature IR330/350 measurements identified excipients that reduced BSA soluble aggregates on long-term storage. The results show ambient temperature emission ratio measurements can be useful for protein formulation development.

An Evaluation of Working on What Works (WOWW): A Solution-Focused Intervention for Schools.

Working on What Works (WOWW) is a manualized, 10-week classroom intervention based on solution-focused brief therapy. This study evaluates WOWW using a randomized experimental, posttest-only design. The study included 30 fourth and fifth grade classrooms, containing 30 teachers and 413 students. Results indicate no significant differences between WOWW and control groups for student internalizing and externalizing behaviors, student-teacher relationships, student academic performance, or teacher sense of efficacy. However, students in the WOWW group had significantly fewer days absent from school compared with the control group. Additionally, teachers' ratings on WOWW classrooms' performance improved significantly more than teachers' ratings on the control classrooms. Results from this study show that WOWW is a feasible intervention for therapists to use in schools and can be implemented across classrooms in both public and private schools. WOWW has potential to improve student attendance and classroom performance, both of which are important areas of concern for schools.

Correction to: Cognitive behavioral therapy for primary care depression and anxiety: a secondary meta-analytic review using robust variance estimation in meta-regression.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a typo in the second author surname. The author surname was incorrectly listed as Borhneimer. The correct name should be Bornheimer.

Dexamethasone Causes Hypertension in Rats Even Under Chemical Blockade of Peripheral Sympathetic Nerves.

Synthetic glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely used to treat inflammatory conditions. However, chronic use of GCs can lead to hypertension. The cause of this undesired side effect remains unclear. Previously, we developed an in vivo rat model to study the mechanisms underlying hypertension induced by the chronic administration of the potent synthetic GC, dexamethasone (DEX) and found that the catecholamine biosynthetic pathway plays an important role. In the current study, we used this model to investigate the role of the adrenal medulla, renal nerves, and other peripheral sympathetic nerves in DEX-induced hypertension. After 5 days of baseline telemetric recording of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR), rats were subjected to one of the following treatments: renal denervation (RDNX), adrenal medullectomy (ADMX), 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA, 20 mg/kg, i.p.) to induce chemical sympathectomy, or a combination of ADMX and 6-OHDA. On day 11, the animals received vehicle (VEH) or DEX in drinking water for 7 days, with the latter causing an increase in MAP in control animals. ADMX and RDNX by themselves exacerbated the pressor effect of DEX. In the chemical sympathectomy group, DEX still caused a rise in MAP but the response was lower (ΔMAP of 6-OHDA/DEX < VEH/DEX, p = 0.039). However, when ΔMAP was normalized to day 10, 6-OHDA + DEX did not show any difference from VEH + DEX, certainly not an increase as observed in DEX + ADMX or RDNX groups. This indicates that sympathetic nerves do not modulate the pressor effect of DEX. TH mRNA levels increased in the adrenal medulla in both VEH/DEX (p = 0.009) and 6-OHDA/DEX (p = 0.031) groups. In the 6-OHDA group, DEX also increased plasma levels of norepinephrine (NE) (p = 0.016). Our results suggest that the activation of catecholamine synthetic pathway could be involved in the pressor response to DEX in animals even under chemical sympathectomy with 6-OHDA.

The efficacy of spiritual/religious interventions for substance use problems: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Spiritual/religious (S/R) interventions are commonly used to treat substance use problems, but this is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to examine their efficacy for these problems. METHODS: Ten electronic databases were searched to identify eligible studies (i.e., randomized controlled trials) published between January 1990 and February 2018 that examined S/R interventions' efficacy for substance use or psycho-social-spiritual outcomes. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risks of bias. Robust variance estimation in meta-regression was used to estimate effect sizes and conduct moderator analysis. RESULTS: Twenty studies comprising 3700 participants met inclusion criteria. Four studies used inactive controls, 14 used active controls, and two used both inactive and active controls and were therefore included in estimating both absolute and relative effect sizes. The absolute effect of S/R interventions (compared with inactive controls such as no treatment) was moderate but non-significant (six studies, d = .537, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -.316, 1.390), possibly due to low power. The relative effect of S/R interventions (compared with other interventions) was statistically significant (16 studies, d = .176, 95% CI = .001, .358). Because only 12-step-oriented interventions were compared with other interventions, this finding does not apply to the relative effect of non-12-step-oriented S/R interventions. Moderator analysis showed that relative effect sizes differ significantly by country. CONCLUSION: We found evidence of S/R interventions' efficacy in helping people with substance use problems. More high-quality efficacy studies of non-12-step-oriented S/R interventions for substance use problems are needed.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for primary care depression and anxiety: a secondary meta-analytic review using robust variance estimation in meta-regression.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is well supported for treating depressive and anxiety disorders. Trials of CBT for anxiety and depression in primary care have increased over the past decade, yet only one meta-analysis, published in 2015, examined this topic and the scope of that review is relatively narrow. This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of primary care based CBT for depression and anxiety. A search of seven electronic databases, six professional websites, and reference lists from articles meeting inclusion criteria was conducted for studies published between 1900 and November 2018. Fifty-seven eligible studies (including 10,701 participants; 221 effect sizes) of randomized controlled trials were eligible and included for meta-analysis using robust variance estimation in meta-regression. Outcome indicators were depression and anxiety measures. An overall significant treatment effect, d = 0.400, 95% CI (0.235, 0.566), p < 0.001, of CBT for depression and anxiety disorders in primary care was identified. Subgroup analyses indicated significant treatment effect for: (1) depressive (d = 0.425, p < 0.001) and anxiety (d = 0.393, p < 0.01) outcomes, (2) studies conducted inside primary care (d = 0.412, p < 0.001), (3) studies using individual-based CBT (d = 0.412, p < 0.001), (4) studies without primary care physician involvement (d = 0.395, p < 0.001), and (5) studies using both tele-health (d = 0.563, p < 0.001) and in-person CBT (d = 0.363, p < 0.001). The percentage of White participants, treatment composition (CBT only versus CBT + other approaches), and treatment duration were significant moderators. Implications for clinical practice are discussed based on both moderator and subgroup analysis results.

The effectiveness of four empirically supported psychotherapies for primary care depression and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Depressive and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and detrimental in primary care settings. However, there are gaps in the literature concerning effectiveness and generalizability of empirically supported interventions and treatment of both depression and anxiety in primary care settings. The aim of this review is to systematically assess and meta-analyze the effectiveness of brief empirically-supported psychotherapies for treating depression and/or anxiety in primary care. METHODS: Seven electronic databases, five professional websites and manual search of reference lists were searched through April 2017 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of four psychotherapies treating primary care depression and anxiety: cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT), problem-solving therapy (PST), motivational interviewing (MI), and solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT). RESULTS: From an initial pool of 1140 articles, 179 articles were eligible for full-text review and 65 articles were included for final analysis. Sixty-five articles containing 198 effect sizes reported an overall treatment effect size of d = 0.462, p < 0.001. Single-predictor meta-regression indicated that marital status, treatment modality (individual versus group), and treatment composition were significant moderators. Multiple-predictor meta-regression discovered treatment setting (inside versus outside primary care) significantly moderated treatment effect, b = -0.863, p = 0.039 after controlling for other intervention characteristics. CONCLUSION: Treatment effects were found for CBT and PST, both for depressive and anxiety disorders. Interventions delivered outside primary care settings were more effective than those within, individual treatment had greater treatment effects compared to group treatment, and both technology-assisted and in-person treatments were found to be effective.

Solution-focused brief therapy for Chilean primary care patients: Exploring a linguistic adaptation.

Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) is a resource-based, future-oriented therapeutic approach that focuses on finding exceptions to problems and identifying coping strategies to build solutions. SFBT has been efficacious with individuals with alcohol use disorders. Chile experiences high levels of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related health consequences. Despite the international dissemination of SFBT, this is the first study to attempt a linguistic adaptation of SFBT in a Latin American country. We conducted 9 cognitive interviews to examine 13 translated main SFBT tools and 3 focus groups to gather information on cultural aspects of alcohol use in primary care. Results suggest that Chileans understood most SFBT tools, albeit with some linguistic modifications of original translations, and that family, gender, and meaningful issues should be considered when working with individuals with alcohol use disorders.

The effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy for psychological distress among Chinese parents of children with a cancer diagnosis: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: Given the critical role of parental care for pediatric cancer patients, this pilot study evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of a hospital-based solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) intervention for reducing psychological distress among parents of pediatric cancer patients in China. Differences between treatment and active control (AC) groups were assessed on dimensions of psychological distress. Parents' level of hope was also assessed. METHODS: Participants (N = 44) were randomly assigned to SFBT or AC. Parents received four sessions of SFBT twice a week delivered by graduate-level hospital social workers. Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured change in distress (depression, anxiety, and somatization symptoms) of parents as well as their level of hope. RESULTS: Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated the SFBT group had better outcomes than the AC group on overall distress of somatic, anxiety, depression symptoms and level of hope. Within- and between-group treatment effects reported significantly greater effect of the SFBT group than of the AC group. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the inherent limits of a pilot feasibility study, results suggest that SFBT is a feasible, culturally compatible, and promising intervention for alleviating distress among Chinese parents of children with cancer. Additional comprehensive trials are needed to draw more definitive conclusions. RELEVANCE: SFBT may be beneficial for improving the critical support systems of parents of pediatric cancer patients. Thus, SFBT may have the potential to enhance children's well-being during cancer treatment and recovery.

Efficacy of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy for Distress among Parents of Children with Congenital Heart Disease in China.

Chinese parents of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) experience significant psychological distress due to the child's illness and hospitalization. Unfortunately, there are few psychosocial interventions for parental distress in China. This pilot study aimed to examine the efficacy of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) in a Chinese hospital for parental distress using a randomized controlled trial design. The participants included 40 Chinese parents of a currently hospitalized child diagnosed with CHD who were assessed to have psychological distress. Parents were randomized into either the intervention (n = 25) or the hospital medical social work treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 28) group. The Chinese Brief Symptom Inventory-18 and Chinese version of Herth Hope Index were administered before and after the interventions. Results of the intent-to-treat analysis indicated a significant decrease in parental distress and increase in parents' levels of hope in the intervention group compared with the TAU group. This study supported SFBT administered in a hospital setting as a promising intervention for reducing distress among Chinese parents with children diagnosed with CHD.

The effectiveness of strength-based, solution-focused brief therapy in medical settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

This meta-analysis synthesized randomized controlled trials of solution focused brief therapy (SFBT) in medical settings for patients' health-related psychosocial (e.g., depression, psychosocial adjustment to illness), behavioral (e.g., physical activity, nutrition score), and functional health (e.g., BMI, individual strength) outcomes. Medical setting is defined in this study as any healthcare setting that primarily focuses on patients' physical wellbeing. A comprehensive search strategy across five electronic databases, four academic journals, three professional websites, and reference lists of included articles resulted in a final sample of nine studies for meta-analytic synthesis. Combining outcomes indicated an overall significant effect of SFBT for health-related psychosocial outcomes (d = 0.34, p < .05.) and a nearly significant outcome for health-related behavioral outcomes (d = 0.28, p = .06), but not for functional health outcomes. Results indicated SFBT being an effective intervention for psychosocial outcomes and a promising approach for behavioral outcomes in medical settings.