The Use of Holographic Memory Resolution® to Improve the Physical and Biopsychosocial Symptoms of Chronic Pain: A Feasibility, Mixed Methods Study.

Objective: Holographic Memory Resolution® (HMR®), a mind-based therapy, has been used for decades as a nonpharmacologic intervention for trauma imprinting to alleviate depression, anxiety, pain, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). No clinical studies were found examining the use of HMR®. This study examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of administering HMR® to individuals experiencing chronic pain and related biopsychosocial symptoms. Methods: A feasibility, mixed-methods study was conducted between October 2021 and July 2022 and included four HMR® sessions over 1-12 weeks. A convenience sample was comprised of 60 adults suffering from chronic physical or emotional pain of 4+ (0-10 scale) over 6+ months at two clinics in the U.S. Baseline and subsequent surveys after sessions 2, 3, and 4 assessed symptom response. Symptoms were longitudinally measured via self-report of depression, anxiety, somatic symptom burden, PTSD, and vitality. Results: 73% completed all four sessions, demonstrating feasibility. Ages ranged from 19 to 80 years, 85% were female, and 87% were Caucasian. 52% reported high risk for toxic stress. Four symptoms decreased significantly: depression (p = 0.05), anxiety (p = 0.03), symptom burden (p < 0.01) and PTSD symptoms (p = 0.01); vitality improved. Conclusions: HMR® may be a feasible intervention to address chronic pain and accompanying biopsychosocial symptoms; a randomized controlled trial is the next step to measure efficacy. Unlike other mind-based therapies, HMR® participants use their own internal language for identification and resolution of the pain. The trauma imprinting can then be gently addressed, and the memory-based components of pain resolved or reduced, which empowers participants to improve their well-being. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05001399.

Fidelity of D.A.R.E. Officers' Delivery of "keepin' it REAL" in Elementary & Middle School.

The goal of the current study is to examine the degree to which measures of quality of implementation and student engagement moderate pretest-posttest changes in mediating variables that are targeted by DARE "keepin' it REAL." DARE officers (10 elementary school, five middle school) taught DARE "keepin' it REAL lessons to 1,017 elementary students (480 boys and 534 girls) and 435 middle school students (217 boys and 215 girls). We examined teachers' and students' ratings of elementary and middle schools in response to DARE officers' delivery of the program. HLM analyses revealed that students' engagement was a significant and meaningful predictor of changes in targeted mediators. Teachers' ratings of student responsiveness added little in terms of understanding these outcomes with main effects observed only for students' ability to respond to bulling and students' estimates of peer drug use. Teachers' ratings of the quality of officer implementation, on the other hand, did add to understanding students' outcomes. Effects were seen for three (peer norms about drug use, decision-making (DM) skills, intentions to avoid drug use) out of six outcome variables and suggest a stronger positive effect for elementary versus middle school students. At least for these three outcomes, understanding quality of implementation added to our ability to interpret results. Specifically, in addition to students' engagement, quality of implementation (which varied by grade) contributed to achieving positive changes in students' outcomes.

D.A.R.E./keepin' it REAL elementary curriculum: Substance use outcomes.

In response to a need to implement an evidence-based prevention program, D.A.R.E. America adopted keepin' it REAL. The program was previously developed and tested in middle school settings. As part of its adoption, an elementary version of the program was developed. This study tests the effectiveness of keepin' it REAL when delivered to fifth graders. The intervention was delivered to two cohorts of students, the first in the 2019-2020 school year, the second in the 2020-2021 school year. Pretest surveys were completed by 6,122 students. The COVID-19 pandemic interfered with posttest and follow-up data collection. At immediate posttest, 2,049 students (33.5%) completed analyzable posttest surveys. One year after the pretest, 1,486 (24.3%) students completed usable follow-up surveys. We used algorithmically generated cases (virtual controls) that use treatment cases' pretest psychosocial scores to assess program effectiveness. When compared to virtual control cases, the program had identifiable improvements in both a key psychosocial measure and in terms of deterring the onset of 30-day alcohol use, drunkenness, and vaping. Outcomes suggest that the delivery of elementary school keepin' it REAL by D.A.R.E. officers is having a positive effect in terms of deterring the onset of alcohol use and vaping.

Feasibility Testing a Family-Level Intervention to Prevent Risky Sex Behaviors Among Middle School-Age Latinas.

PURPOSE: In this article, we report a pilot study that tested the feasibility and initial efficacy of a culturally, linguistically, and developmentally tailored risky sex prevention intervention for middle school-age Latinas and their mothers. DESIGN: We used a one-group pre-test, post-test, and 3-month post-intervention follow-up design. Data were collected at three points on aspects of the girls' communication, beliefs, and behaviors. RESULTS: Promising results included improvements in girl's self-efficacy regarding condom communication and condom consistent use, and in mother-teen sexual risk communication. There were also trends in demonstration of fewer risky sex behaviors. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that the "Latina-Girls Empowered through Mind and Mission" (L-GEMM) intervention for young Latinas and their mothers is feasible and warrants further testing. IMPLICATIONS: Nurses are uniquely positioned to deliver risky sex preventive interventions to young Latinas. Including mothers and tailoring interventions to build on cultural strengths are important for success.

Schools as Sites for Recruiting Participants and Implementing Research.

Schools can be a valuable resource for recruitment of participants for research involving children, adolescents, and parents. Awareness of the benefits and challenges of working with schools can assist researchers in developing effective school partnerships. This article discusses the advantages of conducting research within the school system as well as the challenges that may also arise. Such challenges include developing key contacts, building relationships, logistical arrangements, and facilitating trust in the research topic and team. Suggestions for strategies to forge successful collaborative relationships with schools are provided.

Parent-Youth Communication to Reduce At-Risk Sexual Behavior: A Systematic Literature Review.

There are nearly 110 million cases of sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that annually there are more than 19.7 million new STI cases. Of those, more than half are accounted for by youth aged 15 to 24 years. Although some STIs are not considered to be life threatening, they can lead to severe health problems, risk of HIV infection or infertility if they are not properly treated. Some research has shown that parent-youth communication can reduce youth's at-risk sexual behaviors. The following is a systematic review of the literature on parent-youth sexual communication and family-level interventions designed to reduce risky sexual behavior in youth.

Women and stroke knowledge: influence of age, race, residence location, and marital status.

Worldwide, stroke is the second leading cause of death and leading cause of disability. Women experience over half of all strokes, 60% of stroke-related deaths, and a death rate of 11% versus 8.4% for men. To understand the delay in stroke recognition and treatment, a convenience sample of 97 midlife women living in southeast North Carolina completed the Stroke Recognition Questionnaire. Rural women, younger women (<49 years old), and participants with incomes under $35,601 had higher stroke symptom and risk factor knowledge scores. Educational interventions should target women over the age of 50, and should distinguish between symptoms of stroke versus heart attack.