James O. Prochaska (1942-2023).

Memorializes James O. Prochaska (1942-2023). Prochaska was an internationally recognized clinical psychologist who revolutionized health behavior change. Prochaska is best known for codeveloping (with former student and friend Carlo C. DiClemente) the transtheoretical model (TTM). For 50 years, he served on the Psychology Department faculty at the University of Rhode Island. Prochaska, with his life partner of 56 years Janice Prochaska, established Pro-Change Behavior Solutions to disseminate and translate the science of behavior change to real-world solutions (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Nicotine Addiction: A Burning Issue in Addiction Psychiatry.

Addressing nicotine addiction has been given a low priority, compared with other substance use disorders (SUDs), by the addiction treatment field. Persons with nicotine addiction are reluctant to attempt to stop using nicotine products-despite recognizing it to be a problem-because they are feeling discouraged by multiple past unsuccessful attempts at quitting. By understanding that discouragement is a frequent reason that these people are in Precontemplation and by using traditional clinical interventions applied to other SUDs, clinicians could achieve better overall treatment outcomes.

Relapse on the Road to Recovery: Learning the Lessons of Failure on the Way to Successful Behavior Change.

Among individuals seeking to change health-related behaviors, relapse is a common experience. Whether it occurs very soon after initiating a change attempt or after several years of sustained changed behavior, it can be discouraging for patients and clinicians alike. Although there is a tendency in healthcare to try to ignore failure, we posit that moving on too quickly results in missed opportunities to learn critical lessons that may promote successful change in the future. In this paper, we use addictive behavior as a lens through which to explore the phenomenon of relapse. We review key insights from the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), including the importance of debriefing failure to promote successive approximation learning while recycling through stages of change. We also offer practical, evidence-based strategies for working effectively with relapse in clinical practice, which we suggest creates a more integrated, client-centered, and personalized approach to care.

Computer- vs. nurse practitioner-delivered brief intervention for adolescent marijuana, alcohol, and sex risk behaviors in school-based health centers.

BACKGROUND: This study examined approaches to delivering brief interventions (BI) for risky substance use and sexual behaviors in school-based health centers (SBHCs). METHODS: 300 Adolescents (ages 14-18; 54 % female) with risky marijuana and/or alcohol use identified via CRAFFT screening (scores >1) were recruited from two SBHCs and randomized to computer-delivered BI (CBI) or nurse practitioner-delivered BI (NBI). Both BIs included motivational and didactic content targeting marijuana, alcohol, and risky sexual behaviors. Assessments at baseline, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up included past 30-day frequency of marijuana use, alcohol use, binge drinking, unprotected sex, and sex while intoxicated; marijuana and alcohol problems; and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL). A focused cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted. An historical 'assessment-only' cohort (N=50) formed a supplementary quasi-experimental comparison group. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between NBI and CBI on any outcomes considered (e.g., days of marijuana use; p=.26). From a cost-effectiveness perspective, CBI was 'dominant' for HRQoL and marijuana use. Participants' satisfaction with BI was significantly higher for NBI than CBI. Compared to the assessment-only cohort, participants who received a BI had lower frequency of marijuana (3-months: Incidence Rate Ratio [IRR] = .74 [.57, .97], p=.03), alcohol (3-months: IRR = .43 [.29, .64], p<.001; 6-months: IRR = .58 [.34, .98], p = .04), alcohol-specific problems (3-months: IRR = .63 [.45, .89], p=.008; 6-months: IRR = .63 [.41, .97], p = .04), and sex while intoxicated (6-months: IRR = .42 [.21, .83], p = .013). CONCLUSIONS: CBI and NBI did not yield different risk behavior outcomes in this randomized trial. Supplementary quasi-experimental comparisons suggested potential superiority over assessment-only. Both NBI and CBI could be useful in SBHCs.

PTSD / substance use disorder comorbidity: Treatment options and public health needs.

Purpose of Review: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly co-occurs with substance use disorder (SUD) and is challenging to treat. We review all behavioral therapy models with at least one randomized controlled trial in a current PTSD/SUD population. We identify factors in selecting a model for clinical use, emphasizing a public health framework that balances the need for evidence with the need for feasibility in frontline settings. Recent Findings: Seven published models and 6 unpublished models are reviewed. Public health considerations for choosing a model include: whether it's been studied across a broad range of SUDs and in complex SUD patients; whether it can be conducted in group modality; its appeal to patients and providers; its cost; workforce requirements; and its ability to reduce substance use in addition to PTSD. Summary: There are two broad types of models: those that originated in the PTSD field versus the SUD field. Overall, the latter are stronger on public health factors and more feasible in SUD settings. Published models in this category include Relapse Prevention, BRENDA, and Seeking Safety. PTSD/SUD research is at an early stage and there is a need for methodology that quantifies "level of burden" (patients' socioeconomic disadvantages) across trials.

Reaching out to smokers: Technology, timing, and tailoring.

Designing interventions for technology requires paying attention to timing of messages and to tailoring of content of message to address smoker concerns and barriers. Using a consumer-focused design can assist in creating messaging that is acceptable and effective.

The Development and Evaluation of a Statewide Training Center for Home Visitors and Supervisors.

This paper informs practice in community-based home visiting workforce development by describing the development and evaluation of a university-based training certificate program for home visitors and supervisors. The Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation (ISF; Wandersman et al., 2008) guides our conceptualization and paper organization. The ISF describes the components involved in translating research findings into effective implementation of prevention programs. We describe implementation and lessons learned from seven development activities: (a) review of the literature, (b) survey of other training initiatives across the country, (c) focus groups with home visitors and supervisors, (d) consultation with individual home visitors, (e) creation of a state advisory board of home visiting providers and stakeholders, (f) evaluation of two pilot trainings, and (g) video development. We then present evaluation data from 49 home visitors and 23 supervisors who completed the training certificate program after the pilot trainings. Both home visitors and supervisors rated training satisfaction highly, reported significant increases in self-efficacy related to the training topics, and reported extensive use of motivational communication techniques, which are the foundational skills of the training content. These and other favorable results reflect the benefits of building on advances in theory and science-based practice and of involving providers and stakeholders repeatedly throughout the development process.

Profiles of behavior change constructs for reducing alcohol use in women at risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy.

Using data from Project CHOICES, a randomized controlled trial to test an intervention to prevent alcohol-exposed pregnancies, this study examined process of change profiles composed of Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM) constructs for alcohol. The primary purpose was to identify a profile of TTM variables associated with reduced drinking. Participants (n = 570) were women at risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy recruited from high risk settings. Profile analyses compared end-of-treatment (i.e., 3 months postintake) TTM construct mean profiles for women who reduced drinking to below NIAAA-defined risk levels1 (changers) with women who continued to drink at risk levels (nonchangers) at the 9-month follow-up. TTM construct profiles included experiential and behavioral processes of change, pros and cons for change, confidence to reduce drinking, and temptation to drink above risk levels. Results revealed a parallelism effect or interaction (p < .001) in the end-of-treatment TTM construct profiles for the changers versus the nonchangers at the 9-month follow-up. Changers reported greater pros (p < .001) and lower cons for change (p = .012), greater confidence (p = .030), lower temptation (p < .001) and greater use of the experiential (p < .001) and behavioral processes of change (p < .001). A larger percentage of the women from the CHOICES intervention were in the end-of-treatment profile of the changers (48%) compared with the control condition (39%; p = .042). Interventions can potentially be enhanced by clinicians' understanding what successful change "looks like" for specific clients in terms of their process use, decisional balance, and self-efficacy, allowing for tailored interventions targeted to each client's specific strengths and deficits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

A statewide initiative to train behavioral health providers in smoking cessation.

Individuals with mental health and substance use disorders smoke at rates two to four times higher than the general population and account for over half of smoking-related deaths. Building capacity of behavioral health providers to provide smoking cessation treatment may decrease smoking prevalence in these groups. The present study evaluated a statewide rollout of a capacity building training program to teach behavioral health providers to deliver a manualized smoking cessation group intervention for patients with mental health and substance use disorders. Behavioral health treatment providers (N = 333) participated in a day-long training. Pretraining and posttraining evaluations were conducted on the day of training to assess changes in confidence, attitudes, and knowledge regarding smoking cessation and possible barriers to implementing the smoking cessation curriculum in treatment programs. These constructs were reassessed in follow-up surveys conducted online 2 and 6 months posttraining. A subset of providers participated in follow-up telephone calls to discuss implementation of smoking cessation programming. Posttraining evaluations indicated that trainees' confidence, attitudes, and knowledge of smoking interventions improved. Follow-up surveys indicated that these gains decreased but were maintained above baseline. Over one-half of survey respondents reported taking at least one implementation step. Interviewees reported that agency and staff-level barriers such as difficulty coordinating a group, staff turnover, and inadequate time with clients precluded more widespread implementation. Training for behavioral health providers is effective in improving confidence, attitudes, and knowledge regarding smoking cessation interventions. Consistent implementation requires ongoing support and agency problem solving to address common barriers.

Motivational interviewing, enhancement, and brief interventions over the last decade: A review of reviews of efficacy and effectiveness.

Motivation is a well-established predictor of recovery for addictive behaviors. Treatments aimed at changing substance use and gambling frequently employ motivational enhancing strategies, based in the principles of Motivational Interviewing (MI). Evidence for these approaches across addictive behaviors does not always paint a clear picture. The purpose of this review was to examine existing reviews of motivational-based interventions for various substances of abuse and gambling in the last decade to gain a deeper understanding of the current evidence and implications for future research and clinical practice. Literature searches were conducted to identify review articles from January 1, 2007 to January 30, 2017 for motivational enhancing interventions for alcohol, tobacco, drugs, marijuana, cocaine, opioids, methamphetamines, and gambling. Of the 144 articles assessed we included a total of 34 review articles in our review, including 6 Cochrane reviews. This review supports use of motivationally enhancing interventions across addictive behaviors with strongest evidence supporting use in alcohol and tobacco, with brief interventions showing strong efficacy. There is strong support for MI with marijuana and some support for gambling. Insufficient evidence is available for methamphetamine or opiate use. There are important caveats. In most cases, MI is more effective than no treatment and as effective (but not necessarily more effective) than other active treatments. Findings for effectiveness of more intensive motivational interventions or combinations are mixed. Treatment fidelity assessments, limited subpopulation analyses, and differences in dose, outcomes, and protocol specification continue to pose significant problems for reviews. (PsycINFO Database Record

Consumer-Centered, Collaborative, and Comprehensive Care: The Core Essentials of Recovery-Oriented System of Care.

Recovery from substance abuse and mental health disorders represents a journey through which individuals move beyond treatment of provider-identified problems toward a path of achieving wellness and productive lives. Overcoming obstacles and barriers encountered along the recovery process, individuals reveal their own strengths and resilience necessary to cope, survive, and thrive in the face of adversity. Recovery-oriented system of care (ROSC) is a framework designed to address the multidimensional nature of recovery by creating a system for coordinating multiple systems, services, and supports that are person centered and build on the strengths and resiliencies of individuals, families, and communities. As is common knowledge among substance abuse and mental health providers, consumers often present with high rates of comorbidity, which complicates care. In addition, behavioral health consumers engage in risky health behaviors (e.g., smoking) at a disproportionate rate, which places them at increased risk for developing noncommunicable diseases. ROSCs are ideal for addressing the complicated and varied needs of consumers as they progress toward wellness. The challenges of creating an ROSC framework that is effective, efficient, and acceptable to consumers is formidable. It requires change on the part of agencies, organizations, providers, and consumers. The importance of comprehensive, integrated screening is highlighted as a critical component of ROSC. Key suggestions for initiating ROSC are offered.

Temptation Minus Self-Efficacy in Alcohol Relapse: A Project MATCH Follow-Up.

OBJECTIVE: Relapse is a crucial event that occurs for many individuals during recovery from alcohol use disorder. This article examines the impact of temptation to drink and self-efficacy to abstain on two distinct aspects of relapse. Causal chain analyses from Project MATCH, a multisite alcoholism treatment trial, provided initial support for the difference between temptation and self-efficacy as a predictor of alcohol use outcomes. In the current study, the Temptation minus Self-Efficacy (T-S) score from the Alcohol Abstinence Self-Efficacy Scale (AASE) is investigated as a predictor of two alcohol use outcomes that were not analyzed in previous Project MATCH reports. METHOD: This study evaluated the ability of end-of-treatment T-S (calculated as Temptation minus Self-Efficacy scores on AASE) to predict time to first drink and number of drinks on first drinking day. Data were analyzed on 627 participants from Project MATCH who relapsed after completing treatment and achieving a period of abstinence. RESULTS: T-S at end of treatment was a significant predictor of two alcohol use outcomes during the 1-year follow-up period. In addition, situation-specific subscale scores of T-S predicted alcohol use outcomes. T-S in social/positive situations predicted time to first drink. T-S in negative affect situations predicted number of drinks on first drinking day. CONCLUSIONS: Results support end-of-treatment measurement discrepancy between AASE scales of Temptation and Abstinence Self-Efficacy as a predictor of time to first drink and number of drinks on first drinking day among individuals who relapse after treatment.

Homeostasis and change: A commentary on Homeostatic Theory of Obesity by David Marks.

This commentary on David Marks' article on the Homeostatic Theory of Obesity and his Circle of Discontent mechanism for maintaining problematic eating behavior and obesity offers a perspective on the promise and potential of this theory. At the same time, we challenge the author to incorporate more of a process perspective into the theory. This would include greater exploration of how individuals enter and exit this hypothesized Circle of Discontent, how these mechanisms lead to obesity rather than other internalizing or externalizing disorders, and how the interactions among key variables differ for males and females and developmental stages.

Online Versus In-Person Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment Training in Pediatrics Residents.

BACKGROUND: Pediatricians underestimate the prevalence of substance misuse among children and adolescents and often fail to screen for and intervene in practice. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends training in Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), but training outcomes and skill acquisition are rarely assessed. OBJECTIVE: We compared the effects of online versus in-person SBIRT training on pediatrics residents' knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and skills. METHODS: Forty pediatrics residents were randomized to receive either online or in-person training. Skills were assessed by pre- and posttraining standardized patient interviews that were coded for SBIRT-adherent and -nonadherent behaviors and global skills by 2 trained coders. Thirty-two residents also completed pre- and postsurveys of their substance use knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KABs). Two-way repeated measures multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) and analyses of variance (ANOVAs) estimates were used to assess group differences in skill acquisition and KABs. RESULTS: Findings indicated that both groups demonstrated skill improvement from pre- to postassessment. Results indicated that both groups increased their knowledge, self-reported behaviors, confidence, and readiness with no significant between-group differences. Follow-up univariate analyses indicated that, while both groups increased their SBIRT-adherent skills, the online training group displayed more "undesirable" behaviors posttraining. CONCLUSIONS: The current study indicates that brief training, online or in-person, can increase pediatrics residents' SBIRT skills, knowledge, self-reported behaviors, confidence, and readiness. The findings further indicate that in-person training may have incremental benefit in teaching residents what not to do.

Understanding self-reported staging of dietary behavior in low-income women.

This study examined self-reported staging for the goal of eating a low-fat diet and several specific dietary consumption behaviors to understand better readiness for dieting. Self-assessed motivation, food frequency measures, and psychosocial variables were obtained from 2057 low-income women enrolled in the Maryland Food for Life Program. Results indicated that staging of specific dietary consumption behaviors was significantly related to staging for the global goal of eating a low-fat diet. Women evaluate their motivation about eating low-fat diets based on perceived efforts and specific activities related to dietary consumption with important implications for dietary behavior change measurement and interventions.

End-of-treatment abstinence self-efficacy, behavioral processes of change, and posttreatment drinking outcomes in Project MATCH.

This study evaluated whether alcohol abstinence self-efficacy at the end of alcohol treatment was moderated by utilization of behavioral processes of change (coping activities used during a behavior change attempt). It was hypothesized that self-efficacy would be differentially important in predicting posttreatment drinking outcomes depending on the level of behavioral processes, such that the relation between self-efficacy and outcomes would be stronger for individuals who reported low process use. Analyses were also estimated with end-of-treatment abstinence included as a covariate. Data were analyzed from alcohol-dependent individuals in both treatment arms of Project MATCH (Matching Alcoholism Treatments to Client Heterogeneity; N = 1,328), a large alcohol treatment study. Self-efficacy was moderated by behavioral process use in predicting drinking frequency 6 and 12 months posttreatment and drinking quantity 6 months posttreatment such that self-efficacy was more strongly related to posttreatment drinking when low levels of processes were reported than high levels, but interactions were attenuated when end-of-treatment abstinence was controlled for. Significant quadratic relations between end-of-treatment self-efficacy and 6- and 12-month posttreatment drinking quantity and frequency were found (p < .001, ƒ² = 0.02-0.03), such that self-efficacy most robustly predicted outcomes when high. These effects remained significant when end-of-treatment abstinence was included as a covariate. Findings highlight the complex nature of self-efficacy's relation with drinking outcomes. Although the interaction between self-efficacy and behavioral processes was attenuated when end-of-treatment abstinence was controlled for, the quadratic effect of self-efficacy on outcomes remained significant. The pattern of these effects did not support the idea of "overconfidence" as a negative indicator.

Operating under the influence: Three year recidivism rates for motivation-enhancing versus standard care programs.

Operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol (OUI) is an international problem. In the United States, one intervention strategy is to require offenders to attend group-delivered interventions. We compared three year rearrest rates among 12,267 individuals in Maine receiving either a motivation-enhancing (ME) program, Prime For Life(®), or historical standard care (SC) programs. We created two cohorts, one when Maine used SC (9/1/1999-8/31/2000) and one after the ME program was implemented (9/1/2002-8/31/2003). Adjusted for control variables, rearrest rates among people not completing an assigned program did not differ for the ME versus SC cohorts (12.1% and 11.6%, respectively; OR=1.05, ns). In contrast, ME compared to SC program completers had lower rearrest rates (7.4% versus 9.9%, OR=0.73, p<.05). The same pattern occurred for people required to take these programs plus substance use treatment (12.1% versus 14.7%, OR=0.82, p<.01). For those rearrested, time to rearrest did not differ between ME and SC cohorts. Among those required to have substance abuse treatment, ME and SC arrest rates did not differ for younger individuals; otherwise, the ME cohort's lower rearrest rates occurred across gender, age, having a previous OUI, and having completed a previous intervention program.