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.

Prospective Randomized Trial on Smoking Cessation in Orthopaedic Trauma Patients: Results From the Let's STOP (Smoking in Trauma Orthopaedic Patients) Now Trial.

OBJECTIVES: Determine if extended inpatient counseling increases smoking cessation. DESIGN: Prospective randomized trial. SETTING: Level I trauma center. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Current smokers with an operative fracture. INTERVENTION: Randomly assigned to control (no counseling), brief counseling (inpatient counseling), or extended counseling (brief counseling plus follow-up counseling) groups in a 1:3:3 ratio. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Smoking cessation confirmed by exhaled carbon monoxide at 3 and 6 months. Secondary outcomes are proportion accepting services from a nationally based quitline. RESULTS: Overall, 266 patients participated, with 40, 111, and 115 patients in the control and 2 treatment groups, respectively. At 3 months, 17% of control patients versus 11% in the brief counseling and 10% in the extended counseling groups quit smoking, respectively (P = 0.45, 0.37). At 6 months, 15% of control, and 10% and 5% of the respective counseling groups quit (P = 0.45, 0.10). Extended counseling patients were 3 times more likely to accept referral to a quitline [odds ratio (OR), 3.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.4-6.9], and brief counseling patients were more than 2 times as likely to accept referral (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.0-5.1) than the control group. Extended counseling (OR, 8.2; 95% CI, 1.0-68.5) and brief counseling (OR, 5.3; 95% CI, 0.6-44.9) patients were more likely to use quitline services than the control group. CONCLUSION: Increasing levels of inpatient counseling can improve successful referral to a smoking quitline, but it does not seem to influence quit rates among orthopaedic trauma patients. Extended counseling does not appear to provide substantial benefit over brief counseling. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

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.

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.

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.

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

Adaptation and Validation of the Brazilian DASE and TUD Scales for Cocaine/Crack Users / Adaptação e Validação Brasileira das Escalas DASE e TUD para Usuários de Cocaína/Crack / Adaptación y Validación Brasileña de las Escalas DASE y TUD para Usuarios de Cocaína/Crack

Abstract: Self-efficacy for abstinence and temptation to use illicit drugs are demonstrably key elements of changing addictive behaviors. This study's aim was to analyze the psychometric evidence for the Brazilian adaptation of the scales Drug Abstinence Self-efficacy Scale (DASE) and Temptation to Use Drugs Scale (TUD). The sample was composed of 300 men treated for cocaine and crack addiction. Análise Factorial Exploratory and internal consistency demonstrated the existence of four factors in the DASE that explained 54% of the total variation in the 24 items, and four factors in the TUD that explained 56% of the total change in the variation. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was at DSE .920 and TUD .927. The Brazilian adaptation of the scales showed appropriate evidence of validity in the sample of hospitalized individuals addicted to cocaine and crack.

Resumo: Autoeficácia para abstinência e a tentação para uso de drogas são importantes elementos na mudança dos comportamentos aditivos. O objetivo do estudo foi analisar as evidências psicométricas da validação e adaptação brasileira das escalas Drug Abstinence Self-efficacy Scale (DASE) e Temptation to Use Drugs Scale (TUD). A amostra foi de 300 homens em tratamento pela dependência de cocaína e crack. A análise fatorial exploratória e de consistência interna demonstraram a existência de quatro fatores na DASE, explicando 54% da variação total dos 24 itens e quatro fatores na TUD explicando 56% da variação total. O coeficiente alpha de Cronbach na DASE foi 0,920 e na TUD 0,927. A adaptação brasileira das escalas mostrou evidências de validade adequadas na amostra de dependentes de cocaína e crack internados.

Resumen: Autoeficacia para abstinencia y la tentación para el consumo de drogas han sido elementos importantes en el cambio de las conductas adictivas. El objetivo del estudio fue analizar las evidencias psicométricas de la validación y adaptación brasileña de las escalas: Escala de Autoeficacia para Abstinencia de las Drogas (DASE) y Escala de Tentación de Utilizar Medicamentos (TUD). La muestra consistió en 300 hombres que reciben tratamiento para la adicción a la cocaína y el crack. El análisis factorial exploratorio y de consistencia interna mostraron la existencia de cuatro factores en la DASE, que explican el 54% de la variación total de los 24 artículos; y cuatro factores que explican el 56% de la variación total en la TUD. El coeficiente alfa de Cronbach fue 0,920 en la DASE y 0,927 en la TUD. La adaptación brasileña de las escalas muestra evidencias de validez adecuadas en la muestra de dependientes de la cocaína y el crack admitidos.

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.

Reliability and Validity of an Observational Measure of Client Decision-Making: The Client Language Assessment - Proximal/Distal (CLA-PD).

OVERVIEW: The Client Language Assessment - Proximal/Distal (CLA-PD) is a language rating system for measuring client decision-making in interventions that target a specified behavior change (e.g., alcohol or other drug use). In the CLA-PD, there are five dimensions of change language (Reason, Ability, Commitment, Taking Steps, Other) adapted from the client portion of the Motivational Interviewing Skill Code (MISC). For the CLA-PD, language codes are sub-divided to discriminate statements regarding the primary, or target behavior change (distal change) from the intermediate coping activities (proximal change) that are prescribed to facilitate that target behavior change. The goal of the CLA-PD is to allow for higher specificity than existing client language measures, when process studies consider interventions that are multi-session and skill-based (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy). METHOD: Three raters received 40 hours of training on the use of the CLA-PD. The data were a sample of therapy session audio-files from a completed clinical trial (N=126), which enabled examination of client language across four sessions (i.e., first three and final attended) of three evidence-based alcohol interventions (cognitive behavioral therapy, twelve-step facilitation therapy, motivational enhancement therapy). RESULTS: Inter-rater reliability results for summary scores showed "excellent" reliability for the measure. Specifically, two-way mixed intraclass coefficients ranged from .83 to .95. Internal consistency reliability showed alphas across sessions that ranged from "fair" to "good" (α=.74-.84). In convergent and discriminant validity analyses using data independently measured with MISC-based ratings, the pattern of results was as would be expected. Specifically, convergent correlations, by valence (i.e., change and sustain talk), between CLA-PD Distal and MISC-based language scores were moderate (r=.46-.55, p<.001) while discriminant correlations by valence for CLA-PD Proximal and MISC-based language scores were small (r=.22-.24, p<.05). Finally, proportion Change Talk Proximal predicted subsequent session coping behaviors (i.e., processes of change) as well as 3-month Alcoholics Anonymous involvement and attendance (ps<.05-.005), but not 3-month alcohol abstinence self-efficacy. Further, analyses of criterion predictive validity showed that proportion Change Talk Distal predicted 3- and 12-month drinking frequency and quantity measures (ps<.05-.005). CONCLUSIONS: When behavior change treatments are multi-session and/or skill-based, the present analyses suggest the CLA-PD is a promising, psychometrically sound observational rating measure of client verbalized decision-making.

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.

The use of peer mentors to enhance a smoking cessation intervention for persons with serious mental illnesses.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated a well-specified peer mentor program that enhanced a professionally led smoking cessation group for persons with serious mental illnesses. METHOD: Participants were 8 peer mentors, persons with serious mental illnesses who had successfully quit smoking, and 30 program participants, persons with serious mental illnesses enrolled in a 6-month intervention. Peer mentors were trained and then helped to deliver a smoking cessation group and met with program participants individually. We assessed the mentors' skills after training, their fidelity to the model, and the program's feasibility and acceptability. We also measured the smoking outcomes of the program participants including change in exhaled carbon monoxide, a measure of recent smoking, and aspects of the peer mentor-program participant relationship. RESULTS: Peer mentors attained a mean score of 13.6/14 on role play assessments after training and delivered the intervention with fidelity as assessed by adherence and competence ratings (mean scores of 97% and 93%, respectively). The feasibility and acceptability of the intervention was demonstrated in that 28/30 participants met with their peer mentors regularly and only 1 participant and no peer mentor discontinued in the study. Both parties rated the interpersonal alliance highly, mean of 5.9/7. The program participants had a decline in carbon monoxide levels and number of cigarettes smoked per day (repeated measures ANOVA F = 6.04, p = .008; F = 15.87, p < .001, respectively). A total of 22/30 (73%) made a quit attempt but only 3 (10%) achieved sustained abstinence. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Our study adds to the growing literature about peer-delivered interventions.

Latent Classes Among Recipients of a Brief Alcohol Intervention: A Replication Analysis.

The purpose of this study was to identify differential improvement in alcohol use among injured patients following brief intervention. Latent class analysis was conducted to identify patient profiles based on alcohol-related risk from two clinical trials (Texas: N = 737; Maryland: N = 250) conducted in Level-1 trauma centers. Drinking was analyzed to detect improvements at 6 and 12 months. The four classes that emerged from Maryland participants were similar to four of the five classes from Texas. Increases in both studies for days abstinent were reported by classes characterized by multiple risks and minimal risks. Decreases in volume consumed for both studies were also reported by classes characterized by multiple risks and minimal risks. By classifying patients according to alcohol-related risk, providers may be able to build on positive prognoses for drinking improvements or adapt interventions to better serve those likely to improve less.