Stress, trauma, racial/ethnic group membership, and HPA function: Utility of hair cortisol.

Discrimination, poverty, and other aspects of the minority experience produce stress associated with health disparities. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a neuroendocrine subsystem usually monitored through assay of the hormone cortisol, is thought to play a key role in this relationship. Cortisol assay using hair specimens is a technology that promises to address important methodological problems in large-scale studies of health, well-being, and racial/ethnic status. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential of a hair cortisol assay-based method for studying trait-like HPA response to low to moderate levels of stress, associated with racial/ethnic discrimination and related social processes, among well-functioning young adults. The hair cortisol measure was shown to be highly reliable; it detected differences in gender and ethnic/racial identity and was correlated with a history of physical abuse and measures of experienced microaggression. The results support the promise of hair-based cortisol assay as a key methodology in health disparities research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Development and Feasibility Testing of a Smartphone Intervention to Improve Adherence to Antipsychotic Medications.

Approximately 60% of individuals with schizophrenia do not take their antipsychotic medications as prescribed, and nonadherence is associated with exacerbation of psychotic symptoms, increased hospital and emergency room use, and increased healthcare costs. Behavioral-tailoring strategies that incorporate medication taking into the daily routine and use environmental supports have shown promise as adherence-enhancing interventions. Informed by the Information-Motivation-Behavioral (IMB) Skills Model and using the iterative process of user-centered design, we collaborated with individuals with schizophrenia and psychiatrists to develop an interactive smartphone application and web-based clinician interface, MedActive, for improving adherence to oral antipsychotic treatment. MedActive facilitates the active involvement of individuals with schizophrenia in managing their antipsychotic medication regimen by providing automated reminders for medication administration and tailored motivational feedback to encourage adherence, and by displaying user-friendly results of daily ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) of medication adherence, positive psychotic symptoms, and medication side effects for individuals and their psychiatrists. In a 2-week open trial completed by 7 individuals with schizophrenia and their psychiatrists, MedActive was determined to be both feasible and acceptable, with patient participants responding to 80% of all scheduled EMAs and providing positive evaluations of their use of the application. Psychiatrist participants were interested in viewing the information provided on the MedActive clinician interface, but cited practical barriers to regularly accessing it and integrating into their daily practice.

Pilot feasibility study of Heart2HAART: a smartphone application to assist with adherence among substance users living with HIV.

BACKGROUND: Smartphones with programmable apps may offer innovative interactive interventions for improving adherence among people living with HIV with substance use problems. METHODS: This pilot randomized controlled trial sought to primarily determine the usability and feasibility of using a smartphone-based intervention called Heart2HAART as an adjunct to directly observed treatment with adherence counseling compared to directly observed treatment with adherence counseling alone among those with HIV and a history of substance use over a three-month time frame. Participants in the Heart2HAART condition completed an additional survey on usability and acceptability. Adherence was measured using unannounced pill counts assessed via a phone call. RESULTS: Twenty-eight participants were randomized to receive Heart2HAART (n = 19) or control (n = 9). All were receiving either weekly (n = 9) or daily (n = 19) observed treatment. Among those randomized to Heart2HAART, 63.2% reported no difficulty using the Heart2HAART smartphone application and 94.7% responded that the medication reminders did not interfere negatively with their activities. On average participants used Heart2HAART application 56.8 times over the three-month trial. In analyses adjusting for age, there was no difference in adherence to HAART medication between the Heart2HAART and control group as evaluated by the random pill count assessment (P = .29). CONCLUSIONS: Heart2HAART was feasible to use during a three-month pilot trial. Future studies may evaluate a more tailored approach, with more robust contingency management.

Impact of a Casino Opening on Gambling Behaviors of People Engaged in Methadone Maintenance.

This study examined gambling behavior in the context of a newly opening casino, comparing disordered gamblers to non-disordered gamblers, in a population of individuals involved in methadone maintenance treatment. Disordered gamblers (N = 50) and non-disordered gamblers (N = 50) were surveyed before and after the opening of a new casino on gambling behaviors, substance use, and psychological symptoms. No statistically significant changes in gambling behaviors were observed for disordered gamblers or non-disordered gamblers across time points; however, non-disordered gamblers demonstrated non-significant increases in horse and dog race betting, electronic games, and casino table games. As expected, disordered gamblers were found to spend significantly more money on electronic games and casino table games (p < 0.05) and demonstrated higher rates of drug use and impulsivity than non-disordered gamblers. The introduction of a new casino did not appear to have a major impact on gambling behaviors of individuals attending methadone maintenance treatment, though the non-significant increases in gambling among non-disordered gamblers may indicate that this population is preferentially impacted by the opening of a new casino. Future investigation into the longer term effects of opening a new casino on this population may be warranted.

A review of behavioral tailoring strategies for improving medication adherence in serious mental illness.

Nonadherence to psychopharmacological treatments poses a significant challenge to treatment success in individuals with serious mental illness, with upwards of 60% of people not taking their psychiatric medications as prescribed. Nonadherence is associated with adverse outcomes, including exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms, impaired functioning, increased hospitalizations and emergency room use, and increased health care costs. Whereas interventions using psychoeducation or cognitive approaches, such as motivational interviewing, have largely proven ineffective in improving adherence, approaches employing behavioral tailoring that incorporate medication taking into the daily routine and/or use environmental supports have shown promise. Recently, adherence-enhancing behavioral tailoring interventions that utilize novel technologies, such as electronic monitors and mobile phones, have been developed. Although interventions utilizing these platforms have the potential for widespread dissemination to a broad range of individuals, most require further empirical testing. This paper reviews selected behavioral tailoring strategies that aim to improve medication adherence and other functional outcomes among individuals with serious mental illness.

La falta de adherencia a los tratamientos psicofarmacológicos constituye un desafío significativo para el éxito terapéutico de sujetos con enfermedad mental grave, dado que hay más del 60% de personas que no toma sus medicamentos psiquiátricos como son prescritos. La falta de adherencia está asociada con resultados adversos, incluyendo la exacerbación de los síntomas psiquiátricos, el deterioro funcional, el aumento de las hospitalizaciones y de la consulta en servicios de urgencia, como el aumento de los costos de salud. Mientras que las intervenciones que utilizan aproximaciones de psicoeducación o cognitivas, tales como la entrevista motivacional, han demostrado ampliamente la ineficacia para mejorar la adherencia, las aproximaciones que emplean ajustes conductuales incorporando la ingesta de medicamentos dentro de la rutina diaria ylo el empleo de soportes ambientales han mostrado ser prometedoras. Recientemente se han desarrollado intervenciones conductuales que refuerzan la adherencia mediante el empleo de nuevas tecnologías como son los monitores electrónicos y los teléfonos móviles. Aunque las intervenciones que utilizan estas plataformas tienen el potencial de una amplia diseminación a una gran cantidad de individuos, la mayoría require de más pruebas empíricas. Este artículo revisa estrategias conductuales que tienen como objetivo mejorar la adherencia a la medicación y otros resultados funcionales entre individuos con enfermedad mental grave.

La non-observance des traitements psychopharmacologiques pose un problème important pour la réussite du traitement chez les personnes atteintes de maladie mentale grave, plus de 60 % des individus ne prenant pas les médicaments psychotropes tels qu'ils leur ont été présents. La non-observance est associée à des événements indésirables, y compris l'exacerbation des symptômes psychiatriques, la détérioration fonctionnelle, l'augmentation des hospitalisations et des passages aux urgences et l'augmentation des coûts des soins de santé. Les procédures utilisant des approches cognitives ou psychoéducatives, comme l'entretien motivationnel, se sont montrées largement inefficaces pour améliorer l'observance. Au contraire, les stratégies d'adaptation comportementale qui intègrent la prise de médicaments aux activités quotidiennes et/ou l'utilisation de différents supports facilitant l'observance, sont prometteuses. Récemment, des stratégies d'adaptation comportementale favorisant l'observance qui utilisent les nouvelles technologies, comme les moniteurs électroniques et les téléphones mobiles, se sont développées. Les procédures utilisant ces plateformes pourraient être diffusées de façon généralisée à un large éventail d'individus, mais la plupart d'entre elles ont besoin d'une vérification empirique complémentaire. Cet article analyse quelques stratégies d'adaptation comportementale dont le but est d'améliorer l'observance médicamenteuse et d'autres résultats fonctionnels chez les individus atteints de maladie mentale grave.

Sleep Disorders Among People With Schizophrenia: Emerging Research.

Up to 80 % of individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders experience sleep disturbances, which impact physical and mental health, as well as quality of life. In this paper, we review and integrate emerging literature, published between 2012 and 2014, regarding approaches to diagnosis and treatment of major sleep disorders for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, including insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), circadian rhythm dysfunction, and restless legs syndrome (RLS). We advocate for (1) the need to evaluate the utility of nonpharmacological approaches in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders; (2) documentation of guidelines to assist providers in clinically tailoring such interventions when their clients experience positive, negative, and/or cognitive symptoms; (3) research on the best ways providers can capitalize on clients' self-identified needs and motivation to engage in sleep treatments through shared decision making; and (4) the importance of investigating whether and how mental health and sleep treatment services should be better connected to facilitate access for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Assessment and tailored treatment of sleep disorders within mental health treatment settings has the potential to reduce sleep problems and improve functioning, quality of life, and recovery of this population.