Different factors identified by stakeholder group for barriers and facilitators to measurement-based care implementation in behavioral health clinics.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the benefits of measurement-based care (MBC) in the behavioral health setting, there have been difficulties in implementation and low saturation. Although barriers and facilitators to MBC implementation have been identified, research has generally only included the perspective of one stakeholder group. The current study aims to examine the similarities and differences-by stakeholder group-in the identified barriers to and facilitators of implementing MBC in the behavioral health setting. METHOD: A purposeful sampling approach was used to recruit and conduct interviews and focus groups with stakeholders (clinicians, clinic leaders, and administrative staff) from four behavioral health clinics at an academic medical center that is part of a larger healthcare system. The data coding process included a directed content analytic approach whereby the coding team used an iterative process to analyze deidentified transcripts starting with a codebook based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) constructs. RESULTS: A total of 31 clinicians, 11 clinic leaders, and 8 administrative staff participated in the interviews and focus groups. There was convergence among all stakeholder regarding which CFIR constructs were identified as barriers and facilitators, but there were differences in the specific thematic factors identified by stakeholders as barriers and facilitators within each of these implementation constructs. The barriers and facilitators that stakeholders identified within each CFIR construct were often connected to their specific role in implementing MBC. CONCLUSION: Collecting information on barriers and facilitators to MBC implementation from the multiple stakeholders involved in the process may enhance successful implementation of MBC given the variation between groups in identified thematic factors. Administrative staff perspectives, which have not been reported in the literature, may be of particular importance in planning for successful MBC implementation.

Pre-treatment amygdala activation and habituation predict symptom change in post-traumatic stress disorder.

Trauma-focused psychotherapy approaches are the first-line treatment option for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, up to a third of patients remain symptomatic even after completion of the treatment. Predicting which patients will respond to a given treatment option would support personalized treatments and improve the efficiency of healthcare systems. Although previous neuroimaging studies have examined possible pre-treatment predictors of response to treatment, the findings have been somewhat inconsistent, and no other study has examined habituation to stimuli as a predictor. In this study, 16 treatment-seeking adults (MAge = 43.63, n = 10 women) with a primary diagnosis of PTSD passively viewed pictures of emotional facial expressions during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). After scanning, participants rated facial expressions on both valence and arousal. Participants then completed eight weekly sessions of prolonged exposure (PE) therapy. PTSD symptom severity was measured before and after treatment. Overall, participants showed symptomatic improvement with PE. Consistent with hypotheses, lesser activation in the amygdala and greater activation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex during the presentation of fearful vs. happy facial expressions, as well as a greater decline in amygdala activation across blocks of fearful facial expressions at baseline, were associated with greater reduction of PTSD symptoms. Given that the repeated presentation of emotional material underlies PE, changes in brain responses with repeated stimulus presentations warrant further studies as potential predictors of response to exposure therapies.

Improved emotion regulation following a trauma-informed CBT-based intervention associates with reduced risk for recidivism in justice-involved emerging adults.

Objective: Male youth who have been involved in the juvenile legal system have disproportionate rates of trauma and violence exposure. Many justice-involved youth have untreated mental illness, with an estimated 66% of young men who are incarcerated meeting criteria for at least one mental health disorder, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and substance abuse. While Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approaches are considered among effective evidence-based treatments for addressing and treating behavioral and emotional difficulties, male youth with a history of incarceration and youth who are at risk for (re)incarceration, violence, emotion dysregulation, and trauma face significant barriers in accessing these services. Methods: Roca, Inc. (Roca), an internationally recognized organization moving the needle on urban violence by working relentlessly with young people at the center of violence in Massachusetts and Maryland, employs a trauma-informed CBT-based skills curriculum and approach in their intervention model, to improve youths' educational, employment, parenting, and life skills opportunities, while decreasing risk for recidivism, addressing trauma and increasing skills for emotion regulation. The aim of this analysis was to assess the effectiveness of Roca's trauma-informed CBT skills curriculum on youths' emotional and behavioral outcomes. We analyzed data from over 300 participating emerging adult men from four sites in Massachusetts and one site in Baltimore, Maryland who had at least three series of data collection across multiple skills-based sessions. Results: We found improvements in outcomes in overall mean scores related to decreased distress about employment and education, as are expected with standard intervention approaches for justice-involved youth. Participants who show improvement in emotion regulation across engagement (approximately half the cohort), were found to have significant improvements in distress related to relationship and family functioning and self-care, and decreased substance use, along with other outcomes compared to those participants with less improvement in emotion regulation. Furthermore, improvement in different aspects of emotion regulation were associated with improved relationships, life distress, substance use, and improved prosocial thinking. Conclusions: Together, these data suggest that adding mental health support and skills training, such as with trauma-informed CBT models, to programs for justice-involved youth may lead to significant improvements in functioning, quality of life, and mental health outcomes.

Ensuring the fit of an evidence-based curriculum for high-risk Latina young mothers using implementation science.

Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to evaluate the fit of a Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT) curriculum implemented within a community organization and inform possible adaptations to fit the mental health difficulties of high-risk Latina young mothers. The PRECEDE-PROCEED implementation framework guided the assessment and results. Focus groups were conducted with high-risk Latina young mothers and staff members to assess the priority mental health problems, environmental stressors and factors contributing and maintaining these difficulties, and existing resources that could be leveraged to address them. Latina young mothers experience a variety of mental health needs and immigration and interpersonal-related stressors. The organization's existing CBT curriculum was found to be feasible and a good fit for the target population. Proposed minor adaptations included a focus on parenting. Results support the robust effects of CBT interventions, including when delivered by paraprofessionals to a high-risk population in a low-resource community setting.

Effectiveness of a Modular Cognitive-Behavioral Skills Curriculum in High-Risk Justice-Involved Youth.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a flexible modular cognitive-behavioral theory (CBT) skills curriculum delivered by paraprofessionals in a community organization targeting high-risk justice-involved youth. Programmatic data were collected from 980 high-risk young men (Mage, 21.12; SD, 2.30), and Cox proportional hazards regression was used. The results showed that compared with young men with no CBT encounters, those with one or more CBT encounters had a 66% (hazard ratio [HR], 0.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28-0.42; p < 0.001) lower risk of unenrolling from programming, 65% (HR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.29-2.12; p < 0.001) higher risk of obtaining a job, and no difference in risk of engaging in new criminal activity while enrolled in programming (HR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.78-1.25; p = 0.918), despite higher risk factors. Training paraprofessionals to deliver CBT skills to high-risk populations is effective and has scalability potential.

LOW-DOSE NALTREXONE REVERSES FACIAL MECHANICAL ALLODYNIA IN A RAT MODEL OF TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA.

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a type of neuropathic pain characterized by intense pain; although anticonvulsants are used as an option to relieve pain, adverse side effects can decrease patient adherence. In this context, a low dose of naltrexone is effective in relieving pain in other pain conditions. Thus, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the analgesic effect of low-dose naltrexone on facial mechanical allodynia in a rat model of TN, as well as its effect(s) on biomarkers in the central nervous system (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF], interleukin [IL]-10, and toll-like receptor-4). Fifty-nine adult male Wistar rats (CEUA-HCPA#2017-0575) were allocated to following groups: control; sham-pain + vehicle; sham-pain + carbamazepine (100 mg/kg); sham-pain + naltrexone (0.5 mg/kg); pain + vehicle; pain + carbamazepine; and pain + naltrexone. TN was induced using chronic constriction of the infraorbital nerve. Facial allodynia was assessed using von Frey test. Drugs were administered by gavage 14 days after surgery for 10 days. At baseline, the mechanical threshold was similar between groups (P > 0.05; generalized estimating equation). Seven days after surgery, facial allodynia was observed in sham-TN and pain-TN groups (P < 0.05). Fourteen days after surgery, only pain-TN groups exhibited facial allodynia. The first dose of low-dose naltrexone or carbamazepine partially reversed facial allodynia. After 10 days of treatment, both drugs completely reversed it. Spinal cord levels of BDNF and IL-10 were modulated by low-dose naltrexone. Thus, low-dose naltrexone may be suitable to relieve TN; however, the exact mechanisms need to be clarified.

Questões fonoaudiológicas e odontológicas na percepção de idosos que acessam serviços do Sistema Único de Saúde / Speech therapy and oral health issues in the perception of the older adults that access the Unified Health System

RESUMO: Modelo de estudo: Estudo observacional e transversal com dados coletados a partir de questionários aplicados aos idosos em visitas domiciliares, sobre acesso a serviços de saúde. Objetivo: Analisar a percepção de idosos independentes sobre questões fonoaudiológicas e odontológicas nos serviços de Atenção Primária à Saúde do Sistema Único de Saúde. Métodos: Foram analisadas frequências absolutas das variáveis de estudo relacionadas a questões fonoaudiológicas e odontológicas através do teste do Qui-quadrado e Teste Exato-de-Fisher, ambos com nível de 0,05% de significância. Resultados: Os idosos entrevistados foram predominantemente mulheres (76,5%), cor branca (73,5%), com no mínimo ensino médio de escolaridade (64,7%). Destes idosos, 92,6% afirmaram não possuir dificuldades para se alimentar, apesar de 51,5% nunca ter feito uma avaliação fonoaudiológica. Houve maior proporção indicando que os idosos não necessitaram de consulta com fonoaudióloga (73,5%). Quanto à utilização de serviços da atenção primária, 68,7% utilizavam o sistema público e desses, 94,1% autoperceberam sua condição de saúde bucal como regular/ruim. Conclusão: Sugere-se o fortalecimento do cuidado dos idosos de forma interdisciplinar e integral, a fim de abranger as necessidades e especificidades dessa população. A baixa percepção da importância do cuidado sugere a necessidade do fortalecimento dos serviços de fonoaudiologia para a saúde da população idosa brasileira. (AU)

ABSTRACT: Study design: Cross-sectional study with data collected from questionnaires applied to older adults at domiciliary visits regarding access to health services. Objective: Analyzing the perception of independent elderly about speech-language and dental issues in the Primary Health Care Services of the Unified Health System/SUS. Methods: Absolute frequencies of the study variables related to speech-language and dental questions were analyzed using the Chi-square test and Fisher's Exact Test, both with a 0.05% significance level. Results: The elderly interviewed were predominantly women (76.5%), white (73.5%), with at least high school education (64.7%). Of these, 92.6% said they had no difficulty in eating, although 51.5% never had a speech therapist evaluation. There was also a higher proportion indicating that the elderly did not need an appointment with the speech therapist (73.5%). Regarding the use of primary care services, 68.7% used the public system, and of these, 94.1% self-perceived their oral health condition as fair/poor. Conclusion: It is suggested to strengthen the care of the elderly in an interdisciplinary and integral way to cover the needs and specificities of this population. The low perception of the importance of care suggests the need for strengthening speech therapy services for the health of the elderly Brazilian population. (AU)

Towards a precision psychiatry approach to anxiety disorders with ecological momentary assessment: the example of panic disorder.

BACKGROUND: Treatments for anxiety disorders are among the most effective in psychiatry. Yet, there is considerable room for improvement. AIM: In this paper, we discuss the value of ecological momentary assessment as a research method and clinical tool. METHODS: We begin by describing ecological momentary assessment and its advantages, including the ability to collect ecologically valid information about mental disorders, in real time, in individual patients. We then illustrate the value of this approach for anxiety disorder treatment using two patients with panic disorder who completed ecological momentary assessments for 2 weeks before and after a cognitive-behavioural therapy intervention. We focus especially on two key pieces of information provided by ecological momentary assessment data: information about symptom dynamics and information about the relationships among symptoms as they unfold over time within individual patients. PERSPECTIVE: Although considerable work is needed to further develop this methodology in the context of anxiety disorder treatment, we believe that these pieces of information may ultimately inform our understanding of how anxiety disorder treatments have their effect and how those treatments can be tailored to individual patients.

The value of implementation frameworks: Using the active implementation frameworks to guide system-wide implementation of Collaborative Problem Solving.

In the last decade, many implementation frameworks have emerged that consolidate the research on implementation science, guiding purveyors and service agencies in improving implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs). In this paper, we describe how the purveyor of one EBP utilized the active implementation frameworks (AIFs) to define and standardize strategies for site-wide implementation. We illustrate what implementation looked like before and after using AIFs to understand implementation, as well as some ways in which using the AIFs helped the purveyor identify, and then overcome, barriers to implementation. This paper provides a model for others who seek to use AIFs to guide their implementation practices, or more broadly, an illustration of how to use any implementation framework to ensure best practices in implementation.

Shame, guilt, and pride after loss: Exploring the relationship between moral emotions and psychopathology in bereaved adults.

BACKGROUND: Self-blame following bereavement has been implicated in the development of post-loss psychopathology. However, prior studies have not distinguished between the emotions of shame versus guilt. This study examined the cross-sectional associations among bereavement-related shame, bereavement-related guilt, and two mental disorders that commonly arise after bereavement: complicated grief and depression. In addition, exploratory analyses examined the associations between bereavement-related pride and post-loss psychopathology. METHODS: Participants included 92 bereaved adults who experienced the death of a family member at least one year prior to the study. Participants completed self-report measures of complicated grief symptoms, depression symptoms, shame, guilt, and pride. RESULTS: Shame and guilt were positively correlated with complicated grief and depression symptoms. When controlling for their shared variance, only shame remained a significant predictor of post-loss psychopathology. Follow-up analyses indicated that the effect of guilt on psychopathology depended on the level of shame, and vice versa. At low shame, guilt predicted psychopathology; however guilt did not predict psychopathology at moderate to high shame. At low to moderate guilt, shame predicted psychopathology; however shame did not predict psychopathology at high guilt. Pride negatively predicted depression symptoms, but not complicated grief symptoms, when we controlled for shame and guilt. LIMITATIONS: Limitations include the cross-sectional design and modest sample size. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses identify shame as the more pathogenic moral emotion for bereaved adults. However, whereas guilt in the absence of shame is often considered adaptive, we found that guilt predicted greater psychological distress at low levels of shame in this sample.

Training needs among nonmental health professionals working with service members: A qualitative investigation.

Though many service members will not directly seek mental health care due to stigma and other factors, they may interact with the healthcare system in other ways including contact with first responders, nurses and allied health care professionals. However, little attention has been spent in this regard on the educational needs of these professionals whose contact with service members and veterans may provide the opportunity to assist veterans in need with overcoming barriers to accessing mental health care. This qualitative study investigates the educational training needs of first responders and health care professionals in contact with military families and trauma survivors to determine whether, and what type, of additional training is needed. A sample of 42 first responders and health care professionals including emergency medical technicians, police officers, fire fighters, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and nurses, were recruited to participate in one of six focus groups. Sessions were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was guided by a thematic analysis approach. Thematic analyses suggest there is a significant knowledge gap with unmet educational needs of these professionals such as information on the invisible wounds of war, military culture, and screening and referring patients who present symptoms falling outside professionals' scope of practice. Findings point to a need and desire for more robust education for first responders and health care providers around mental health concerns of military populations, including topics such as trauma, military culture, and screening tools. Efforts to develop curricula addressing these concerns are warranted.

Gender differences in exposure to potentially traumatic events and diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by racial and ethnic group.

OBJECTIVE: There is a robust literature base documenting gender differences and racial/ethnic differences in exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis. Yet, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the risk of PTEs and PTSD between genders, stratified by race/ethnicity. We aimed to better understand whether factors associated with poor psychological adjustment following PTEs (e.g., PTE type, sociodemographic factors, social support) varied by gender and race/ethnicity. METHOD: Data were collected from three U.S.-based national studies comprising the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiologic Surveys (CPES; N = 13,649). Trained lay interviewers administered questionnaires and collected data on PTE exposure, PTSD, and psychosocial covariates. Regression analyses were conducted to investigate relations between PTEs, PTSD, and gender, stratified by race/ethnicity. RESULTS: Adjusting for sociodemographic variables, mental health comorbidity, social support, and PTE frequency, White, African-American, and Afro-Caribbean women had higher odds of PTSD than men in their respective racial/ethnic groups, whereas gender differences were not observed for Latinos or Asians. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that risk of exposure to PTEs and PTSD may differ by gender and race/ethnicity. Future studies should consider the contributions of social, cultural, and contextual factors in estimating PTSD risk.

Transcranial Photobiomodulation with Near-Infrared Light for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Pilot Study.

Objective: Our aim was to test the anxiolytic effect of transcranial photobiomodulation (t-PBM) with near-infrared light (NIR) in subjects suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Background: t-PBM with NIR is an experimental, noninvasive treatment for mood and anxiety disorders. Preliminary evidence indicates a potential anxiolytic effect of transcranial NIR. Methods: Fifteen subjects suffering from GAD were recruited in an open-label 8-week study. Each participant self-administered t-PBM daily, for 20 min (continuous wave; 830 nm peak wavelength; average irradiance 30 mW/cm2; average fluence 36 J/cm2; total energy delivered per session 2.9 kJ: total output power 2.4 W) broadly on the forehead (total area 80 cm2) with an LED-cluster headband (Cerebral Sciences). Outcome measures were the reduction in total scores of the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (SIGH-A), the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity (CGI-S) subscale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) subscales from baseline to last observation carried forward. Results: Of the 15 recruited subjects (mean age 30 ± 14 years; 67% women), 12 (80%) completed the open trial. Results show a significant reduction in the total scores of SIGH-A (from 17.27 ± 4.89 to 8.47 ± 4.87; p < 0.001; Cohen's d effect size = 1.47), in the CGI-S subscale (from 4.53 ± 0.52 to 2.87 ± 0.83; p < 0.001; Cohen's d effect size = 2.04), as well as significant improvements in sleep at the PSQI. t-PBM was well tolerated with no serious adverse events. Conclusions: Based on our pilot study, t-PBM with NIR is a promising alternative treatment for GAD. Larger, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled studies are needed.

Community-Based Implementation of a Paraprofessional-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program for Youth Involved with the Criminal Justice System.

Psychosocial interventions for common emotional and behavioral difficulties have been developed for use in correctional facilities, yet these programs are largely unavailable upon community re-entry due to a shortage of trained mental health specialists. In this study, we developed and piloted a youth worker-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program for young men at high risk for incarceration receiving services at a youth development organization. We formed a community-academic partnership to support the conduct of research across all phases of this project (2014-2016). We analyzed data gathered through focus groups and individual interviews with program staff, administrators, and young men. This study reports on implementation process and outcomes across phases. Main findings indicate the preliminary feasibility and acceptability of the youth worker-delivered CBT curriculum. We discuss strengths and limitations of our approach and provide suggestions for future studies that aim to implement paraprofessional-delivered CBT programs within community-based organizations.

Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing a Short-Term Transdiagnostic Mental Health Treatment for Homeless Persons.

Despite the significant mental health needs and comorbidity in homeless individuals, there is a "science-practice gap" between the available evidence-based treatments (EBTs) and their lack of use in community health centers servicing homeless populations. To address this gap, it is imperative to evaluate and attend to the contextual factors that influence the implementation process of EBTs before their integration into routine care. The study aims to evaluate the barriers and facilitators to implementing a transdiagnostic EBT in a community health center serving homeless individuals. The results of the thematic analyses (7 focus groups, 67 participants) yielded 8 themes for barriers and 10 themes for facilitators to implementation. The findings of the current study highlight common tensions faced by community programs and clinicians when working toward integrating EBTs across different types of populations, and those unique to homeless persons. Results can inform subsequent strategies used in implementing EBTs.

Provider fidelity and modifications to cognitive processing therapy in a diverse community health clinic: Associations with clinical change.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to examine associations between therapist adherence, competence, and modifications of an evidence-based protocol (EBP) delivered in routine clinical care and client outcomes. METHOD: Data were derived from a NIMH-funded implementation-effectiveness hybrid study of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD in a diverse community health center. Providers (n = 19) treated clients (n = 58) as part of their routine clinical care. Clients completed the PCL-S and PHQ-9 at baseline, after each CPT session, and posttreatment. CPT sessions were rated for treatment fidelity and therapist modifications. RESULTS: Overall, therapist adherence was high, although it decreased across sessions suggesting potential drift. Therapist competence ratings varied widely. Therapists made on average 1.6 fidelity-consistent and 0.4 fidelity-inconsistent modifications per session. Results show that higher numbers of fidelity-consistent modifications were associated with larger reductions in posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms. High adherence ratings were associated with greater reductions in depressive symptoms, whereas higher competence ratings were associated with greater reduction in posttraumatic stress symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the importance of differentially assessing therapist adherence, competence, and modifications to EBP in usual care settings. The findings also suggest that effective EBP delivery in routine care may require minor adaptations to meet client needs, consistent with previous studies. Greater attention to fidelity and adaptation can enhance training so providers can tailor while retaining core components of the intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluating transdiagnostic, evidence-based mental health care in a safety-net setting serving homeless individuals.

Homeless individuals experience higher rates of mental illness than the general population, though this group is less likely to receive evidence-based psychological treatment for these difficulties. One explanation for this science-to-service gap may be that most empirically supported interventions are designed to address a single disorder, which may not map on to the substantial comorbidity present in safety-net samples, and create a high training burden for often underresourced clinicians who must learn multiple protocols to address the needs of their patients. One solution may be to prioritize the dissemination of transdiagnostic interventions that can reduce therapist burden and simultaneously address comorbid conditions. The purpose of the present article is to describe the process of conducting a pilot study administering the Unified Protocol (UP), a transdiagnostic treatment for the range of emotional disorders, at a community-based organization that provides health care and other services to homeless individuals and families in Boston, Massachusetts. Therapists on a specialized behavioral health unit received didactic training in the intervention, followed by weekly consultation while they provided the UP to patients on their caseload. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from both patients and therapists. Barriers to use of the UP by therapists, as well as to conducting research in this setting, will be discussed, along with the solutions that were used. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).