A Self-Help Crisis Outreach Effort for At-Risk Primary Care Patients: A Pilot Study of Veterans During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Stressful events can exacerbate symptoms of psychiatric disorders among primary care patients, putting them at increased risk for suicide. In a pilot study that ran from August to December of 2020, researchers evaluated the acceptability and implementation of Managing Emotions in Disaster and Crisis (MEDIC), a self-help intervention designed to assist at-risk primary care patients. A total of 108 at-risk veterans completed baseline and 6-week assessments. Results were promising, with high patient acceptability and engagement along with improvement in all measures of mental illness symptoms from baseline to posttreatment. Self-help interventions like MEDIC may offer a low-burden way for primary care providers to support more patients.

Pain and Hazardous Alcohol Use in Veterans in Primary Care: The Role of Affective Pain Interference and Alcohol Pain-Coping Perceptions

Chronic pain and unhealthy alcohol use commonly co-occur and are associated with negative health outcomes. Veterans may be particularly vulnerable to these conditions, yet limited research has examined factors involved in their co-occurrence. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the role of affective pain interference and alcohol pain-coping perceptions in the relationship between pain and hazardous alcohol use. As informed by the catastrophizing, anxiety, negative urgency, and expectancy model, we hypothesized that the relationship between pain and hazardous alcohol consumption is mediated by affective pain interference and stronger among those with greater perceptions that alcohol helps cope with pain. Participants were 254 VA primary care patients (87.8% male, Mage = 64.03, 76.4% White) with a history of chronic musculoskeletal pain, past-year alcohol use, and past-week pain. Veterans completed a mailed survey including measures of pain, affective pain interference, alcohol pain-coping perceptions, and hazardous alcohol use. Hypotheses were tested with regression models and PROCESS macros. As hypothesized, affective pain interference mediated the pain-hazardous alcohol use association. Contrary to hypotheses, results showed no moderating effect of alcohol pain-coping perceptions. Findings partially support relationships among theorized constructs and suggest that for Veterans with co-occurring pain and alcohol use it may be important to target pain-related affective interference and perceptions that alcohol helps cope with pain. PERSPECTIVE: This article presents a test of factors involved in the pain and alcohol relationship, as informed by the CANUE model. Findings suggest that for Veterans with co-occurring pain and past-year alcohol use, it may be important to target pain-related affective interference and perceptions that alcohol helps cope with pain.

Factors Influencing Patient Receptivity to Brief Alcohol Interventions in Primary Care: An Application of Conjoint Analysis

Background: Brief alcohol interventions (BAIs) are an evidence-based practice for addressing hazardous alcohol use in primary care settings. However, numerous barriers to implementation of BAIs in routine practice have been identified, including concerns about patient receptivity to BAIs. Despite this being a commonly identified barrier to BAI implementation, little BAI implementation research has focused on patient receptivity. Objectives: This study aimed to identify the treatment preferences of primary care patients who screened positive for hazardous alcohol use and to evaluate factors that may influence patients' receptivity to BAIs delivered in primary care. We conducted a mailed survey of primary care patients (N = 245) who screened positive for hazardous alcohol use on annual screening measures based on electronic medical record data. Patients completed measures assessing treatment preferences and a conjoint analysis questionnaire designed to evaluate the relative importance of three factors (focus of the BAI, tailoring of the BAI, and familiarity with the provider delivering the BAI) for patient receptivity. Results: Conjoint analysis results revealed that familiarity with provider (with patients preferring BAIs delivered by providers they have previously met) was the most important factor in predicting patients' receptivity to BAIs. Additionally, patients preferred to discuss alcohol use in the context of another concern (focus of the BAI) and preferred personalized information tailored based on their specific health concerns (tailoring of the BAI), although these factors were not statistically significant when accounting for familiarity with provider. Conclusions: Findings of the present study have potential to inform future research on implementation of BAIs.

Brief conjoint visits between an embedded behavioral health provider and primary care team member: When are they used and what are the barriers and facilitators?

INTRODUCTION

Conjoint visits utilize the expertise of primary care providers (PCPs) and behavioral health providers (BHPs) to address complex comorbidities in patients. The objectives were to describe the use and features of conjoint visits and identify barriers and facilitators as described by BHPs in integrated settings.

METHOD

Three hundred and forty-five BHPs who worked in integrated primary care, a majority identifying as female and white, completed an online survey between October 2018 and July 2019.

RESULTS

Results indicated common reasons for conjoint visits were for mental or behavioral health concerns. Though they reported high comfort using conjoint visits (M = 4.3/5), 56.5% of BHPs participated in them less than monthly or never. Using a constant comparison approach, qualitative data were coded to reveal six categories of barriers and five categories of facilitators to conjoint visits. The most common barriers were a result of a lack of systemic support, such as 73.5% reporting lack of time, while the most common facilitators were coordination (60.7%) and interprofessional communication (39.3%).

DISCUSSION

Although conjoint visits are used infrequently, findings suggest it is not because they are unhelpful as providers generally found this type of appointment favorable. Rather, they and their teams lack time, training, and support needed for implementation. This research provides an introduction for researchers or clinicians to better understand the use of conjoint visits for patients with high needs and complexities. Future work focused on addressing barriers cited by providers regarding conjoint visits would increase providers' ability to use this form of care when it is needed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Barriers to and facilitators of using evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral anxiety interventions in integrated primary care practice

Cognitive-behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders and symptoms remains underutilized in integrated primary care (IPC), in part because the many treatments developed for specialty care are not readily translated to this unique setting. The objective of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators to behavioral health providers (BHPs) delivering evidence-based cognitive--behavioral anxiety interventions within IPC practice. We conducted semistructured interviews with a national sample of 18 BHPs (50% psychologists, 33% social workers, 17% registered nurses) working in IPC in the Veterans Health Administration. We assessed barriers to and facilitators of using psychoeducation, exposure, cognitive therapy, relaxation training, mindfulness/meditation, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based interventions, and problem-solving therapy. Qualitative coding and conventional content analysis revealed barriers and facilitators at three levels: IPC, provider, and patient. Themes suggested key barriers of poor fit with the IPC model, BHP training deficits, and lack of patient buy-in, and key facilitators of good perceived fit of the intervention (e.g., scope, duration) with the IPC model, BHPs feeling well equipped, and utility for patients. BHPs select interventions based on fit for the individual patient. Some results were consistent with prior work from specialty care, but the IPC model itself introduces significant implementation challenges. BHPs would benefit from flexible intervention options and training on IPC treatment goals and how to deliver the essence of evidence-based interventions in small doses. Our findings will help to inform adaptation of behavioral anxiety interventions to better fit IPC practice and development of beneficial training and resources for BHPs to reduce implementation challenges. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Brief relationship support as a selective suicide prevention intervention: Piloting the Relationship Checkup in veteran couples with relationship and mental health concerns

INTRODUCTION

Close relationship problems play a key role in many contemporary theories of suicide. However, the potential of relationship support in suicide prevention is understudied. This study explores the feasibility, safety, acceptability, and promise of utilizing the 3-session Relationship Checkup (RC) in veterans with mental health and romantic relationship concerns.

METHODS

We conducted a single-arm pilot of telehealth RC in veterans with a positive mental health screen and their romantic partners. Couples completed baseline and post-treatment assessments of study outcomes.

RESULTS

Feasibility analyses showed we were able to recruit an elevated-risk sample (30% history of attempts or interrupted attempts), take them through the service (90% treatment completion), and had minimal harm events (no suicidal behavior, no physical harm in arguments). Multimethod acceptability analyses suggested high satisfaction with the program, though some desired more intensive services. Couples reported improvements in relationship functioning, emotional intimacy, thwarted belongingness, depression, and posttraumatic stress. Perceived burdensomeness only improved for identified patients and drinking did not change for either partner.

CONCLUSION

The RC is a feasible, safe, and acceptable strategy for providing relationship support to couples at elevated risk. Although further randomized trials are needed, RC shows promise to reduce relationship-level and individual-level suicide risk factors.

Brief, modular, transdiagnostic, cognitive-behavioral intervention for anxiety in veteran primary care: Development, provider feedback, and open trial

Anxiety is undertreated in primary care, and most treatment provided is pharmacological rather than behavioral. Integrating behavioral health providers (BHPs) using the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model can help address this treatment gap, but brief interventions suitable for use in PCBH practice are needed. We developed a modular, cognitive-behavioral anxiety intervention, Modular Anxiety Skills Training (MAST), that is evidence-based, transdiagnostic, feasible for PCBH, and patient-centered. MAST comprises up to six 30-min sessions emphasizing skills training. This article describes the rationale for and development of MAST as well as pilot work in the Veterans Health Administration (VA) to tailor and refine MAST for delivery to Veterans in VA primary care (MAST-V) to improve feasibility for VA BHPs and acceptability to Veterans. We used a convergent mixed-methods design with concurrent data collection. In phase one, we interviewed five BHPs to obtain feedback on the treatment manual. BHPs assessed MAST-V to be highly compatible with PCBH and provided suggestions to enhance feasibility. In phase two, we conducted an open trial in which six Veterans experiencing clinically significant anxiety received and provided feedback on all nine possible modules; we also assessed changes in mental health symptoms and functioning as well as treatment satisfaction and credibility. Veterans found MAST-V to be highly acceptable, and pre-post clinical outcomes were very promising with large effect sizes. Findings from this initial pilot provide preliminary support for the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of MAST-V and suggest further research with a randomized clinical trial is warranted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Leveraging Integrated Primary Care to Enhance the Health System Response to IPV: Moving toward Primary Prevention Primary Care

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prominent public health problem in the United States, with significant health impacts that are often severe and persistent. Healthcare systems have been called upon to improve both the systematic identification and treatment of IPV largely by adopting secondary and tertiary prevention efforts. Research to date demonstrates both benefits and challenges with the current strategies employed. In this paper, we summarize current knowledge about the healthcare system's response to IPV and evaluate the strengths, limitations, and opportunities. We offer recommendations to broaden the continuum of healthcare resources to address IPV, which include a population health approach to primary prevention.

Feasibility and acceptability of a brief intervention to improve mild traumatic brain injury recovery: Problem-solving training-concussion

OBJECTIVE

Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) are common among Veterans. Although the majority of neurobehavioral symptoms resolve following mTBI, studies with Veteran samples demonstrate a high frequency and chronicity of neurobehavioral complaints (e.g., difficulties with attention, frustration tolerance) often attributed to mTBI. Recent opinions suggest the primacy of mental health treatment, and existing mTBI practice guidelines promote patient-centered intervention beginning in primary care (PC). However, trial evidence regarding effective clinical management in PC is lacking. This study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of a brief, PC-based problem-solving intervention to reduce psychological distress and neurobehavioral complaints.

RESEARCH METHOD/DESIGN

Mixed method open clinical trial of 12 combat Veterans with a history of mTBI, chronic neurobehavioral complaints, and psychological distress. Measures included qualitative and quantitative indicators of feasibility (recruitment and retention metrics, interview feedback), patient acceptability (treatment satisfaction, perceived effectiveness), and change in psychological distress as measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory-18.

RESULTS

The protocol was successfully delivered via in-person and telehealth treatment modalities (4.3 sessions attended on average; 58% completed the full protocol). Patient interview data suggested that treatment content was personally relevant, and patients were satisfied with their experience. Treatment completers described the intervention as helpful and reported corresponding reductions in psychological distress (ES = 1.8). Dropout was influenced by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS

Further study with a more diverse, randomized sample is warranted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Prevalence and predictors of team-based care activities between primary care providers and embedded behavioral health providers: a national survey

Primary care (PC) settings increasingly use team-based care activities with embedded behavioral health providers (BHPs) to enhance patient care via group medical visits, conjoint appointments, team huddles, and warm handoffs. Aim 1 was to describe the variation of team-based care activities within integrated PC clinics. Aim 2 was to explore whether factors associated with the BHP (e.g., gender, training, and experience) and the PC setting (e.g., perceived teamwork) predict engagement in team-based activities. A national sample of eligible BHPs (n = 345; 14.2% response rate) completed an anonymous survey assessing the presence/intensity of team-based care activities. 90% of BHPs reported regularly engaging in team-based care activities with PC teams. Most engagement occurred when providing feedback to PC providers (90.4% at least daily) and during warm handoffs (90.4% at least once daily). Engagement in team-based care was predicted by the level of teamwork occurring within the PC clinic (βs = .41-.47; ps < .001) and BHP characteristics, such as the number of years spent in PC (βs = .24-.26, ps < .001). Although these data are promising, with many BHPs reportedly engaging in team-based activities with PC teams, there is significant variation. Researchers should continue to explore whether the engagement in these team-based care activities enhances patient care.

Treatment-As-Usual Control Groups in Brief Alcohol Intervention Trials: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Brief alcohol interventions (BAIs) are evidence-based practices that can help reduce hazardous drinking among patients in medical settings. However, descriptions of the treatment-as-usual (TAU) control groups that BAIs are compared to in clinical trials often lack clarity and detail. This systematic review and meta-analysis quantified and compared descriptions of intervention and TAU control arms within reports of randomized controlled trials and examined whether treatment effects were affected by level of detail in narrative descriptions.

METHOD

A systematic literature search to identify eligible articles was performed. Studies were rated on methodological quality, and the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist was used to rate the level of clarity and detail included in descriptions of the intervention and TAU conditions in eligible articles. Data were extracted from articles for use in meta-analysis and meta-regression.

RESULTS

Twenty-one studies met inclusion criteria. Across the studies, TIDieR ratings for intervention arms were higher than ratings for control arms. BAIs were linked to reductions in drinks per week, heavy drinking episodes, and alcohol consequences over time when compared with TAU. TIDieR ratings for control groups were significantly associated with larger treatment effects on drinks per week and alcohol consequences but were not significant for heavy drinking episodes.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis reiterated the effectiveness of BAIs in medical settings. Yet the lack of clarity in TAU descriptions raises concerns regarding the validity of BAI trials, suggesting need for more detailed reporting and use of the TIDieR guidelines for support.

Relationship Health and Intimate Partner Violence in Integrated Primary Care: Individual Characteristics and Preferences for Relationship Support across Risk Levels

This study explores differences in characteristics and relationship treatment preferences across different levels of intimate partner violence (IPV) among Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care patients. In Fall 2019, we sent a mail-in survey assessing relationship healthcare needs to N = 299 Veterans randomly sampled from 20 northeastern VA primary care clinics (oversampling female and younger Veterans). We compared those reporting past year use or experience of physical/sexual aggression, threats/coercion, or injury (Severe IPV; 21%), to those only reporting yelling and screaming (Verbal Conflict; 51%), and denying any IPV (No IPV; 28%). Participants across groups desired 2-6 sessions of face-to-face support for couples' health and communication. No IPV participants were older and had preferred treatment in primary care. The Verbal Conflict and Severe IPV groups were both flagged by IPV screens and had similar interest in couple treatment and relationship evaluation. The Severe IPV group had higher rates of harms (e.g., depression, alcohol use disorder, relationship dissatisfaction, fear of partner) and higher interest in addressing safety outside of VA. Exploratory analyses suggested differences based on use vs. experience of Severe IPV. Findings highlight ways integrated primary care teams can differentiate services to address dissatisfaction and conflict while facilitating referrals for Severe IPV.

Practical and Emotional Peer Support Tailored for Life's Challenges: Personalized Support for Progress Randomized Clinical Pilot Trial in a Veterans Health Administration Women's Clinic

INTRODUCTION

Women Veterans experience a broad range of stressors (e.g., family, relationship, and financial) and high rates of mental health and physical health conditions, all of which contribute to high levels of stress. Personalized Support for Progress (PSP), an evidence-based intervention, is well suited to support women Veterans with high stress as it involves a card-sort task to prioritize concerns as well as pragmatic and emotional support to develop and implement a personalized plan addressing those concerns. Our aims were to explore the population and context for delivery and evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and utility of PSP delivered by a peer specialist to complement existing services in a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Women's Wellness Center.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This randomized controlled pilot trial compared treatment as usual plus PSP to treatment as usual and used the a priori Go/No-Go criteria to establish success for each outcome. We interviewed staff regarding the population and delivery context at a VHA Women's Wellness Center and analyzed interviews using a rapid qualitative approach. For the rapid qualitative analysis, we created templated summaries of each interview to identify key concepts within each a priori theme, reviewed each theme's content across all interviews, and finally reviewed key concepts across themes. We evaluated feasibility using recruitment and retention rates; acceptability via Veteran satisfaction, working relationship with the peer, and staff satisfaction; and utility based on the proportion of Veterans who experienced a large change in outcomes (e.g., stress, mental health symptoms, and quality of life). The Syracuse VA Human Subjects Institutional Review Board approved all procedures.

RESULTS

Staff interviews highlight that women Veterans have numerous unmet social needs and concerns common among women which increase the complexity of their care; call for a supportive, consistent, trusting relationship with someone on their health care team; and require many resources (e.g., staff such as social workers, services such as legal support, and physical items such as diapers) to support their needs (some of which are available within VHA but may need support for staffing or access, and some of which are unavailable). Feasibility outcomes suggest a need to modify PSP and research methods to enhance intervention and assessment retention before the larger trial; the recruitment rate was acceptable by the end of the trial. Veteran acceptability of PSP was high. Veteran outcomes demonstrate promise for utility to improve stress, mental health symptoms, and quality of life for women Veterans.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the high acceptability and promising outcomes for utility, changes to the design to enhance the feasibility outcomes which failed to meet the a priori Go/No-Go criteria are warranted. These outcomes support future trials of PSP within VHA Women's Wellness Centers.

Leveraging Integrated Primary Care to Address Patients' and Families' Unmet Social Needs: Aligning Practice with National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Recommendations

Primary care is well-poised to address unmet social needs that affect health. Integrated primary care is increasingly common and can be leveraged to facilitate identification of practice and clinician-level modifiable characteristics and assist practices to address unmet social needs for patients and families. A recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)'s consensus report identified 5 critical system-level activities to facilitate the integration of addressing social needs into health care: awareness (ask patients), adjustment (flexible intervention delivery), assistance (intervention to address the social need), alignment (link with community resources), and advocacy (policy change). This article outlines how integrated primary care characteristics, such as routine screening, functional workflows, interprofessional team communication, and patient-centered practices, exemplify the NASEM report's activities and offer robust biopsychosocial tools for addressing social needs. We provide a case to illustrate how these strategies might be used in practice.

What is the recipe for PCBH? Proposed resources, processes, and expected outcomes

What is the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model of service delivery? Clinician innovators, administrators, and researchers have continued to refine the answer to this question. In the same way a recipe for mac n cheese provides the resources needed (i.e., ingredients), processes to make the dish, and expected outcomes (e.g., number of servings), a comprehensive operational definition for PCBH is needed to help improve the rigor of research being conducted. This recipe can also help clinicians/administrators identify a basic recipe for PCBH that standardizes the necessary components and amounts to achieve the expected outcomes. In this editorial, we provide a comprehensive operational recipe for PCBH based on current research. We are calling people to assist us by (a) utilizing the recipe to help improve the reporting and rigor of PCBH research and (b) applying the proposed operational definitions and targets within the recipe to help us refine and validate them. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Anxiety treatment preferences among veteran primary care patients: Demographic, mental health, and treatment-related correlates

INTRODUCTION

Anxiety symptoms are common, yet undertreated, among primary care patients. Accommodating patient treatment preferences improves engagement and retention. In contrast to depression, little is known about primary care patients' preferences for anxiety treatment.

METHOD

Participants were 144 veterans experiencing anxiety symptoms but not receiving psychotherapy who were recruited from primary care. Preferences for 11 anxiety treatment attributes (method; location; type; format; provider; frequency, length, and number of appointments; psychotherapy orientation; symptom focus; and topic/skill) and demographic, mental health (e.g., anxiety symptom severity), and treatment-related (e.g., psychotherapy history) variables were assessed via mailed survey. We used chi-square goodness of fit tests to identify patient preferences for each attribute and multivariate multinomial logistic regression models to explore demographic, mental health, and treatment-related correlates of treatment preferences.

RESULTS

Patient preferences were largely consistent with integrated primary care models, particularly Primary Care Behavioral Health, with a few exceptions. Patients preferred longer appointments (e.g., 45-60 minutes) and a longer duration of treatment (e.g., ≥13 appointments) than is typically offered in primary care. Several variables, particularly education level, perceived need for help, anxiety symptom severity, and attitudes toward psychotherapy, were repeatedly associated with preferences for various anxiety treatment attributes.

DISCUSSION

Results from this study suggest that patients tend to have distinct preferences for anxiety treatment in primary care that are largely consistent with common integrated primary care models. Results also identify several variables that may be associated with specific preferences, which may help match patients to their preferred type of care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Virtual integrated primary care teams: Recommendations for team-based care

INTRODUCTION

Integrated primary care teams are increasingly relying upon virtual care, including both telehealth and team members who are teleworking, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This shift to virtual care can present challenges for the coordination and provision of team-based care in primary care. The current report uses extant literature on teams to provide recommendations to support integrated primary care teams, including behavioral health providers, in adapting to and sustaining virtual team-based care.

METHOD

We used the Seven C's framework by Salas and colleagues (2015) to organize our findings and recommendations, focusing on coordination, cooperation, cognition, and communication.

RESULTS

Integrated primary care teams may benefit from tending to both implicit and explicit forms of coordination and the use of debriefs to improve team coordination. Given the potential challenge of trust in a virtual team, documentation of care coordination and reexamination of how feedback is provided to primary care providers may benefit team cooperation. Sharing team goals and crosstraining on specific aspects of team processes, such as communicating essential information to behavioral health providers for a warm handoff, may improve the cognition of the team. Teams may also benefit by findings ways to incorporate informal communication into the workflow and using closed-loop communication to decrease missed communications.

DISCUSSION

This report provides initial recommendations based on extant team literature to support integrated primary care teams in adapting to virtual care. Future work should build off this report by examining virtual integrated primary care teams and providing evidence-based recommendations to optimize virtual care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Initial Session Effects of Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: A Secondary Analysis of A Small Randomized Pilot Trial

Objective/Background: While cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is typically delivered over six-eight sessions, the field has introduced ever briefer versions. We examined session by session effects on both insomnia and depression outcomes in a brief, four-session version of CBT-I.Participants: This is a secondary analysis of data drawn from participants randomized to brief cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (bCBTi) in a pilot clinical trial. All participants (n = 19) were veterans enrolled in primary care who screened positive for insomnia and co-occurring PTSD and/or depression.Methods: Participants received four, weekly, individual sessions of bCBTi during which they provided self-report data on insomnia, depression, and sleep parameters over the preceding week. Baseline and follow-up assessments were also collected.Results: Changes in insomnia and depression severity between baseline and the beginning of session one were non-significant. Statistically significant decreases were observed, however, for insomnia severity between sessions one to two (g = -.65) and sessions two to three (g = -.59). This pattern was mirrored for depression severity with significant decreases between sessions one and two (g = -.65) and sessions two to three (g = -.68). However, there was little change for either outcome from session three to session four (insomnia g = -.16; depression g = -.14).Conclusions: This session by session analyses of bCBTi revealed that the majority of the treatment effect occurred over the first two sessions. Findings suggest that even brief interventions addressing insomnia may have a positive impact on both insomnia and co-occurring depression.

Practical Opportunities for Biopsychosocial Education Through Strategic Interprofessional Experiences in Integrated Primary Care

Even with the expansion of primary care teams to include behavioral health and other providers from a range of disciplines, providers are regularly challenged to deliver care that adequately addresses the complex array of biopsychosocial factors underlying the patient's presenting concern. The limits of expertise, the ever-changing shifts in evidence-based practices, and the difficulties of interprofessional teamwork contribute to the challenge. In this article, we discuss the opportunity to leverage the interprofessional team-based care activities within integrated primary care settings as interactive educational opportunities to build competencies in biopsychosocial care among primary care team members. We argue that this approach to learning while providing direct patient care not only facilitates new provider knowledge and skills, but also provides a venue to enhance team processes that are key to delivering integrated biopsychosocial care to patients. We provide three case examples of how to utilize strategic planning within specific team-based care activities common in integrated primary care settings-shared medical appointments, conjoint appointments, and team huddles-to facilitate educational objectives.

A Practical Guide to Applying the Delphi Technique in Mental Health Treatment Adaptation: The Example of Enhanced Problem-Solving Training (E-PST)

Expert consensus methods, such as the Delphi procedure, are commonly employed in consumer, education, and health services research. However, the utility of this methodology has not widely been described in relation to mental health treatment adaptation efforts. This gap is noteworthy given that evidence-based treatments are often modified in terms of core intervention content, method of delivery, and target populations. Expert consensus methods such as the Delphi procedure offer multiple practical benefits (e.g., flexibility, resource-efficiency) for psychologists who need to adapt existing treatments to meet new research and clinical practice needs. The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of the Delphi procedure, and to offer a practical guide to using this method for treatment adaptation. An example is offered using our team's application of a three-round Delphi procedure to render content and context modifications to an existing problem-solving intervention to optimize its use with a new treatment population. Data were collected from Department of Veterans Affairs clinical subject matter experts. Round 1 utilized semi-structured interviews to determine necessary protocol features and modifications. Rounds 2-3 utilized a forced-choice survey and feedback loop to evaluate expert consensus. More than 91% of rated items reached consensus following Round 2, with the remainder following Round 3. Recommended modifications included minor structural and content edits, and re-balancing time allotments. We conclude that consensus methods may facilitate treatment adaptation efforts, enhance treatment feasibility, and promote content and ecological validity. Considerations for future Delphi-based treatment adaptations are offered.

Barriers and Pathways to Changing Smoking and Risky Drinking in Primary Care Patients With Chronic Conditions Who Failed to Respond to Brief Advice

Objective: Many individuals who smoke tobacco or consume alcohol at hazardous levels have chronic conditions that are caused or exacerbated by these behaviors. The objective of this survey study was to obtain data on the health care concerns, barriers, and readiness to change indicators of smokers/risky drinkers with related health conditions who have not responded to standard primary care interventions.

Methods: 167 participants (120 who reported current smoking or risky drinking or both) completed a 1-time mailed survey in 2017/2018. Participants were asked about smoking and drinking habits, physical health and impairments, health-related concerns, and barriers and readiness to change smoking and drinking.

Results: For smokers and drinkers, the most common health concern was cardiovascular related (22% and 19%, respectively), though co-users were more concerned about pain. The most common barriers to change were lacking motivation and belief that alcohol/tobacco was not impacting their health. For smokers and drinkers, stronger beliefs that smoking/drinking does not affect their health was associated with lower importance of changing.

Conclusions: Data from this study suggest that the main reasons patients report not changing are based on deficits in motivation and likely in information. In a group of patients who all have conditions that contraindicate smoking and risky drinking, their belief that their behaviors do not cause problems and that their health is not affected by their behaviors suggests a need for increased, focused education.

Treating depressive symptoms among veterans in primary care: A multi-site RCT of brief behavioral activation

BACKGROUND

Behavioral activation is ideal for embedded behavioral health providers (BHPs) working in primary care settings treating patients reporting a range of depressive symptoms. The current study tested whether a brief version of Behavioral Activation (two 30-minute appointments, 2 boosters) designed for primary care (BA-PC) was more effective than primary care behavioral health treatment-as-usual (TAU) in reducing depressive symptoms and improving quality of life and functioning.

METHODS

Parallel-arm, multi-site randomized controlled trial. 140 Veterans were randomized to BA-PC or TAU and completed assessments at baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks.

RESULTS

Reductions in depressive symptoms were observed in both groups between baseline and 3-weeks prior to any treatment, with continued reductions among those in the BA-PC condition through 12-weeks. However, there was no significant condition X time interaction at 12-weeks. Quality of life and mental health functioning were significantly improved for those in the BA-PC condition, compared to TAU, at 12 weeks.

LIMITATIONS

Generalizability to a broader population may be limited as this sample consisted of veterans. Although engagement in TAU matched other prior work, it was lower than engagement in BA-PC, which also may compromise results.

CONCLUSIONS

Although this study found that both TAU and BA-PC participants showed a decline in depressive symptoms, improvements in functioning and quality of life within those assigned to BA-PC, strong treatment retention and feasibility of BA-PC, and significant reductions in depressive symptoms among those with more severe baseline depressive symptoms are encouraging and support continued research on BA-PC. This trial was registered in clinicaltrials.gov as Improving Mood in Veterans in Primary Care (NCT02276807).

The use and impact of self-monitoring on substance use outcomes: A descriptive systematic review

BACKGROUND

Self-Monitoring (SM), the act of observing ones' own behavior, has been used in substance use treatment because SM may bring conscious awareness to automatized substance use behaviors. Empirical findings regarding SM's effectiveness are mixed. The aim of this study was to synthesize the literature for the efficacy of SM on substance use. Method: A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE/PubMed. Results: Out of 2,659 citations, 41 studies with 126 analyses were included. Among analyses from studies rated Moderate (n = 24) or Strong (n = 3) quality, SM was shown to have a helpful effect (e.g., reducing substance use) 29% of the time; to have no effect 63.0% of the time; and to be detrimental in 8.0% of analyses. SM's helpful effects were associated with methodological characteristics including longer monitoring and Phone/IVR and EMA/Computer methodologies compared to Paper/Pencil. SM was more helpful in non-treatment-seekers (35.0% of analyses showed SM to be helpful compared to 25.0% of analyses with treatment-seekers). Conclusions: Results of this study suggest that SM, under certain circumstances, as the potential to be a low-cost, low-risk research and early intervention strategy for substance users.

Brief CBT for insomnia delivered in primary care to patients endorsing suicidal ideation: a proof-of-concept randomized clinical trial

Insomnia co-occurs frequently with major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); all three conditions are prevalent among primary care patients and associated with suicidal ideation (SI). The purpose of the article was to test the effects of a brief cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (bCBTi) and the feasibility of delivering it to primary care patients with SI and insomnia in addition to either MDD and/or PTSD. Fifty-four patients were randomized to receive either bCBTi or treatment-as-usual for MDD and/or PTSD. The primary outcome was SI intensity as measured by the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale; secondary clinical outcomes were measured by the Insomnia Severity Index, Patient Health Questionnaire for depression, and PTSD Symptom Checklist. Effect sizes controlling for baseline values and sample size were calculated for each clinical outcome comparing pre-post differences between the two conditions with Hedge's g. The effect size of bCBTi on SI intensity was small (0.26). Effects were large on insomnia (1.91) and depression (1.16) with no effect for PTSD. There was a marginally significant (p = .069) effect of insomnia severity mediating the intervention's effect on SI. Findings from this proof-of-concept trial support the feasibility of delivering bCBTi in primary care and its capacity to improve mood and sleep in patients endorsing SI. The results do not support bCBTi as a stand-alone intervention to reduce SI, but this or other insomnia interventions may be considered as components of suicide prevention strategies.

Anxiety interventions delivered in primary care behavioral health routine clinical practice

INTRODUCTION

Although anxiety is highly prevalent in primary care and a top reason for referral to primary care behavioral health (PCBH) services, there are limited data on which anxiety interventions are used in routine PCBH practice. The objective of this study was to identify interventions delivered when treating anxiety in PCBH practice.

METHOD

We conducted an online survey of PCBH providers regarding their clinical practice with patients who present for treatment of anxiety symptoms. The final sample comprised 209 PCBH providers recruited from e-mail listservs of national professional organizations (59.3% psychologists, 23.4% social workers, 12.4% counselors, 4.8% other). Providers reported on use (yes/no) of 17 interventions in their most recent session with their most recent adult patient presenting with a primary concern of non-trauma-related anxiety.

RESULTS

On average, patients were reported to be 42.2 (14.73) years old, White (73.7%), and male (56.5%) with anxiety symptoms of moderate severity (65.6%). Most reportedly had comorbid sleep difficulties (63.6%), depressive symptoms (58.4%), and/or stress/adjustment (56.0%). Providers reported delivering an average of 5.77 (2.05, range: 1-15) interventions, with psychoeducation (94.7%), relaxation training (64.1%), and supportive therapy (60.8%) being most common. Several highly efficacious evidence-based interventions for anxiety, including cognitive therapy (45.0%) and exposure (21.1%), were less common.

DISCUSSION

While PCBH providers delivered numerous brief interventions for anxiety, cognitive therapy and exposure were underutilized. Furthermore, PCBH patients with anxiety symptoms were complex, with significant severity and comorbidity. These results suggest implications for research, clinical training, intervention design, and future implementation efforts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

1087 Early Session Effects of CBT-I on Insomnia and Depression

Introduction

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has been shown to reduce depressive symptomatology among patients with co-occurring insomnia and depression. Brief forms of CBT-I have been tested in various settings including primary care. As delivery formats of CBT-I broaden, it is important to enhance our understanding of what doses and what components of CBT-I, provide the optimal balance of treatment efficacy and brevity. In the present study, we examine session-by-session effects of CBT-I on insomnia and depression.

Methods

Fifty-four Veterans with insomnia and co-occurring depression or posttraumatic stress disorder were randomized to either four sessions of CBT-I or treatment as usual in a published parent study. We report here on the effects among those who received CBT-I (n =22). At each session participants provided a completed sleep diary and completed the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depression (PHQ-9).

Results

At baseline, participants endorsed a moderate level of both insomnia (ISI score = 18.5 [SD=4.2]) and depression (PHQ-9 score = 15.6 [SD=5.2]). A mean decrease of 4.0 points in ISI total score was observed between sessions 1 and 2 [t(21)=-3.88, p&lt;.001] and a 3.3 points between sessions 2 and 3 [t(19)=-2.63, p&lt;.05]. Mean PHQ-9 scores decreased by 2.9 points between sessions 1 and 2 [t(21)=-2.84, p&lt;.01] and a 2.8 points between sessions 2 and 3 [t(19)=-2.77, p&lt;.05]. In contrast, changes in ISI and PHQ-9 scores between baseline and session 1, and sessions 3 and 4 did not reach significance.

Conclusion

The majority of improvements in both insomnia and depression were observed following sessions 1 and 2 of CBT-I. Findings suggest that even a limited exposure to CBT-I may have a clinically significant impact on functioning across multiple domains. Whether such early improvements represent an optimal balance compared with the more modest additional improvements achieved by adding more sessions is discussed.

Support

This work was supported by the VISN 2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention at the Canandaigua VAMC.

Team-based suicide prevention: lessons learned from early adopters of collaborative care

Suicide prevention in clinical settings requires coordination among multiple clinicians with expertise in different disciplines. We aimed to understand the benefits and challenges of a team approach to suicide prevention in primary care, with a particular focus on Veterans. The Veterans Health Administration has both a vested interest in preventing suicide and it has rapidly and systematically adopted team-based approaches for primary care interventions, including suicide prevention. We conducted eight focus groups and eight in-depth interviews with primary care providers (PCPs), behavioral health providers and nurses located in six regions within one Veterans Administration Catchment Area in the northeast of the US. Transcripts were analyzed using simultaneous deductive and inductive content analysis. Findings revealed that different clinicians were thought to have particular expertise and roles. Nurses were recognized as being well positioned to identify subtle changes in patient behavior that could put patients at risk for suicide; behavioral health providers were recognized for their skill in suicide risk assessment; and PCPs were felt to be an integral conduit between needed services and treatment. Our findings suggest that clinician role-differentiation may be an important by-product of team-based suicide prevention efforts in VHA settings. We contextualize our findings within both a processual and relational interprofessional framework and discuss implications for the implementation of team-based suicide prevention.

Barriers to and Facilitators of Delivering Brief Tobacco and Alcohol Interventions in Integrated Primary Care Settings

Objective

Tobacco and excessive alcohol use are 2 of the top 3 preventable causes of death in the United States, yet most patients using these substances do not pursue treatment. Most patients do visit their primary care provider (PCP) annually, but PCPs report that they are not very effective in addressing behavior change with patients. Brief interventions for alcohol and tobacco use are effective and can be delivered by behavioral health providers (BHPs) embedded in the primary care setting. However, BHPs do not report frequent use of these interventions. The aim of the current study was to conduct the first examination of barriers to and facilitators of implementing brief interventions for at-risk drinking and tobacco use among integrated BHPs.

Methods

BHPs (N = 285) working in a primary care setting for at least 6 months with at least 10% effort allocated to clinical activities were recruited through professional listservs (August-September 2016) and completed an online survey that assessed barriers to and facilitators of delivering brief tobacco and alcohol interventions in routine clinical practice.

Results

BHPs were primarily psychologists (48%) and social workers (33%) with cognitive-behavioral orientation (51%). The primary barriers to addressing tobacco use and at-risk drinking reported by BHPs was the perception that patients did not want to discuss or did not want to change these behaviors. The primary facilitators of addressing tobacco use and at-risk drinking were patients identifying cessation or reduction as a treatment goal, positive provider-patient relationship, and receiving referrals specifically for tobacco or alcohol use.

Conclusions

Clinicians, researchers, and administrators should focus on strategies to increase the regularity with which BHPs assess and provide intervention for smoking and alcohol use in the context of other primary presenting concerns.

A Meta-Analysis of Brief Tobacco Interventions for Use in Integrated Primary Care

Introduction

The integration of behavioral health services in primary care settings presents an opportunity to enhance the delivery of tobacco cessation interventions in the primary care setting, but guidance on evidence-based treatments for tobacco use disorder that fits the brief format of integrated primary care (IPC) is limited. This meta-analysis summarizes the outcomes of brief behavioral interventions targeting tobacco use that can be delivered in IPC settings.

Methods

A literature search was conducted to locate empirical studies examining tobacco cessation interventions that could be implemented in an IPC setting. A random effects meta-analytic approach was utilized with odds ratios as the effect size. Subgroup analyses were conducted to determine the extent to which a number of study, participant, and intervention characteristics affected treatment outcome.

Results

A total of 36 studies were included (n = 12975 patients). Patients in the intervention groups exhibited significantly greater odds of smoking cessation compared with those in the comparison groups (OR = 1.78, p < .001). Subgroup analyses did not reveal significant sources of heterogeneity attributable to moderators such as methodological quality, gender, bioverification, follow-up time period, or intervention characteristics (such as setting, type, or length of intervention).

Conclusions

Brief tobacco cessation interventions that can be delivered in IPC settings were found to be effective. Future research in this area might evaluate ways to improve the dissemination and implementation of these types of interventions in IPC settings.

Implications

The integration of behavioral health services into primary care presents a unique opportunity to increase the delivery of tobacco cessation interventions, as behavioral health providers in these settings are experts in behavior change interventions and may have more time to deliver these interventions than primary care providers. Results from the current meta-analysis demonstrate that brief tobacco cessation interventions that can be implemented in the IPC setting are effective. Future research in this area might examine ways to improve the dissemination and implementation of brief interventions for tobacco use in IPC settings.

Validation of an Expanded Measure of Integrated Care Provider Fidelity: PPAQ-2

This study aimed to validate the factor structure of the expanded Primary Care Behavioral Health Provider Adherence Questionnaire (PPAQ-2), which is designed to assess provider fidelity to both the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) and collaborative care management (CCM) models of integrated primary care. Two-hundred fifty-three integrated care providers completed self-reports of professional background, perceptions of clinic integration and related practice barriers, and the PPAQ-2. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to assess the theorized factor structure and criterion validity was assessed through correlational analysis. Factor analyses demonstrated adequate fit with the data and acceptable to excellent composite reliabilities across five PCBH domains and five CCM domains. Validity was demonstrated by correlations between adherence scores and measures of clinic integration and barriers to fidelity. The PPAQ-2 is a psychometrically sound measure that can be used in future integrated care dismantling studies to identify provider behaviors that best predict patient outcomes.

Brief behavioral activation intervention for depressive symptoms: Patient satisfaction, acceptability, engagement, and treatment response

Depressive symptoms are the most common reason for referral to integrated behavioral health providers in primary care. Although evidence-based brief psychotherapies for depression in primary care exist, treatment duration is a significant barrier to implementation. In this open trial, we examined the patient experience of receiving a brief behavioral activation intervention designed for use in primary care (BA-PC), which comprised 2 30-min appointments and 2 boosters spaced 2-3 weeks apart across 12 weeks, and its impact on depression symptoms. Participants were 22 patients recruited from primary care who reported at least moderate depressive symptoms (score ≥ 10 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]). Patient experiences were examined through assessing patient engagement, satisfaction, acceptability, and treatment response. Fidelity of intervention delivery in delivering the BA-PC within a 12-week period was also assessed. Participants reported a high level of satisfaction with and acceptability of the BA-PC intervention, materials, and format. Within-subject t tests revealed a significant reduction in depressive symptoms from baseline at the 12-week assessment, based on PHQ-9 total score, t(21) = 3.80, p = .001. Evidence of fidelity included 81% of patients completing the 2 BA-PC appointments, average appointment lengths of approximately 30 min, and high content fidelity within each appointment. These preliminary findings suggest that overall experience of a brief BA-PC intervention was positive, with high patient satisfaction, patient acceptability, and treatment fidelity as well as positive patient treatment response. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Suicide risk among Veteran primary care patients with current anxiety symptoms

BACKGROUND

Although anxiety is prevalent in primary care, the association between anxiety symptoms and suicide risk remains understudied.

OBJECTIVES

This cross-sectional study aimed to (i) assess the prevalence of suicide risk among Veteran primary care patients with anxiety symptoms and (ii) compare suicide risk between patients with a positive (versus negative) depression screen.

METHODS

Participants were 182 adult primary care patients (84.6% male, Mage = 58.3 years) with current anxiety symptoms, but no psychotherapy in specialty care in the past year, at a Veterans Health Administration medical center in New York. Participants completed self-report measures of anxiety, depression and suicide risk via telephone.

RESULTS

Forty percent endorsed ≥1 suicide risk item. Suicide risk was more common among those screening positive (versus negative) for depression (50.5% versus 26.5%, χ2 (1) = 10.88; P = 0.001). Participants with a negative depression screen constituted 31% of all those with any suicide risk. Logistic regression revealed that anxiety symptom severity was not associated with suicide risk (P = 0.14) after controlling for age, sex and depression screen status (P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

A substantial proportion of primary care patients with anxiety was classified as at risk for suicide, even in the absence of a positive depression screen. Primary care providers should assess suicide risk among patients with anxiety symptoms, even if the patients are not seeking specialty mental health treatment, the anxiety symptoms are not severe or do not rise to the level of an anxiety disorder, and comorbid depressive symptoms are not present.

Opportunities to improve measurement-based care practices in mental health care systems: A case example of electronic mental health screening and measurement

INTRODUCTION

Measurement-based care (MBC) involves the systematic collection of data to inform clinical decision-making and monitor treatment outcomes. In addition to benefitting patients and providers, data on MBC implementation can also be used to inform quality improvement efforts within existing health care systems.

METHOD

The method was retrospective chart review. We collected data on electronic mental health (MH) screens and symptom measures recorded by MH providers. Patients were 28,376 veterans who received MH services in a northeastern region.

RESULTS

Although rates varied by MH condition and clinic type, screening for alcohol misuse, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder appeared to occur with regularity. MH symptom measurement was less frequent than screening but included measures of alcohol and substance use, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and suicidal ideation. Patient demographics (e.g., age, military service era, sex, MH diagnosis) and frequency of clinic contact emerged as significant predictors of symptom measurement.

DISCUSSION

In this article, we illustrate how data on MH screening and measurement can be organized, analyzed, and interpreted to identify opportunities to enhance MBC practices in MH care. We conclude with a discussion of how large data set analyses can contribute to programmatic MBC initiatives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Perceived barriers and facilitators to implementation of peer support in Veterans Health Administration Primary Care-Mental Health Integration settings

Peer support is increasingly recognized as consistent with the goals of integrated primary care and is being implemented in primary care settings as a patient-centered approach that increases patient activation and access to care. Within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), peer support specialists (PSSs) have traditionally worked in specialty mental health settings and only recently started working in Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI) settings. Prior research has identified implementation challenges, such as role confusion, when integrating peer support into new settings. In this qualitative descriptive study, we conducted semistructured interviews on perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing peer support in PC-MHI with 25 key stakeholders (7 PSSs, 6 PSS supervisors, 6 PC-MHI providers, and 6 primary care providers). We used conventional content analysis to code responses within four a priori implementation categories: barriers, initial facilitators, long-term facilitators, and leadership support. Perceived barriers included poor program functioning, inadequate administrative support, role confusion, and negative stakeholder attitudes. Key perceived facilitators of initializing and maintaining peer support were similar; administrative support was emphasized followed by program functioning and team cohesion. Stakeholder buy-in and access/visibility were perceived to facilitate initial implementation, whereas evidence of success was believed to facilitate maintenance. Stakeholder buy-in and administrative support were considered key elements of leadership support. Results were consistent with prior research from specialty mental health settings, but identified unique considerations for PC-MHI settings, particularly clarifying the PSS role based on local PC-MHI needs, obtaining buy-in, and facilitating integration of PSSs into the primary care team. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Team communication within integrated primary care in the context of suicide prevention: A mixed methods preliminary examination

Direct and indirect communication through the electronic medical record play a vital role in helping medical home primary care teams implement suicide prevention efforts. The purpose of this study is to examine how communication related to suicide prevention occurs among primary care team members working within a group of clinics in the Veterans Health Administration that has embedded integrated behavioral health providers (BHPs) and uses a shared electronic medical record. Using sequential exploratory mixed methods design, eight focus groups and 11 in-depth interviews with primary care providers (PCPs), nurses, and BHPs comprised the qualitative portion of the study, which was used to help develop an online questionnaire distributed to all primary care teams. Participants (n = 86) of the online survey included 15 BHPs, 32 PCPs, and 39 registered nurses. Qualitative data included asking a series of questions concerning how suicide prevention is accomplished in primary care. Themes concerning how providers communicate both directly and indirectly arose from the data and were used to develop questions for the survey to help further understand the data. Overall, the data suggested good team communication was occurring. However, there were opportunities to enhance communication through the use of huddles and enhancing communication from PCPs to other team members when the patient's medical status changed. Direct communication was preferred, and finding ways to increase communication may be important to help decrease potential errors that may occur via diffusion of responsibility. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

The Role of Integrated Primary Care in Increasing Access to Effective Psychotherapies in the Veterans Health Administration

American military veterans have higher rates of psychiatric disorders, and timely access to high-quality mental health treatment in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is a persistent challenge. Integrated primary care (IPC) is one of many strategies implemented by VHA to increase access to care. IPC, including collaborative care and primary care behavioral health services, successfully increases access to initial behavioral health services in primary care (e.g., brief psychotherapies, pharmacotherapy) and continued engagement in specialty mental health services. IPC components that drive increased access include population-based care, response to patient preferences, and team-based care. The state of the evidence for IPC interventions for common behavioral health concerns in primary care (depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, alcohol use, tobacco use, and insomnia) is reviewed, with areas for future research and implementation discussed, including how technology can assist IPC services and the importance of incorporating evidence-based psychotherapies into IPC.

Behavioral medicine interventions for adult primary care settings: A review

INTRODUCTION

Health care organizations are embracing integrated primary care (IPC), in which mental health and behavioral health are addressed as part of routine care within primary care settings. Behavioral medicine concerns, which include health behavior change and coping with medical conditions, are common in primary care populations. Although there are evidence-based behavioral interventions that target a variety of behavioral medicine concerns, integrated behavioral health providers need interventions that are sufficiently brief (i.e., ≤6 appointments) to be compatible with IPC.

METHOD

We conducted a literature review of published studies examining behavioral interventions that target prevalent behavioral medicine concerns and can feasibly be employed by IPC providers in adult primary care settings.

RESULTS

A total of 67 published articles representing 63 original studies met eligibility criteria. We extracted data on the behavioral interventions employed, results comparing the active intervention to a comparison group, general fit with IPC, and methodological quality. The vast majority of studies examined brief interventions targeting sleep difficulties and physical activity. The most commonly employed interventions were derived from cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing. Outcomes were generally statistically significantly in favor of the active intervention relative to comparison, with highly variable methodological quality ratings (range = 0-5; M = 2.0).

DISCUSSION

Results are discussed in relation to the need for further evidence for brief behavioral interventions targeting other behavioral medicine concerns beyond sleep and physical activity, as well as for more specificity regarding the compatibility of such interventions with IPC practice. (PsycINFO Database Record

Patient outcomes associated with primary care behavioral health services: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review focused on Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) services delivered under normal clinic conditions that included the patient outcomes of: 1) access/utilization of behavioral health services, 2) health status, and 3) satisfaction.

METHOD

Following PRISMA guidelines, comprehensive database searches and rigorous coding procedures rendered 36 articles meeting inclusion criteria. The principle summary measures of odd ratios or Cohen's d effect sizes were reported.

RESULTS

Due to significant limitations in the methodological rigor of reviewed studies, robust findings only emerged for healthcare utilization: PCBH is associated with shorter wait-times for treatment, higher likelihood of engaging in care, and attending a greater number of visits. Several small, uncontrolled studies report emerging evidence that functioning, depression, and anxiety improve overtime. There was no evidence of greater improvement in patient health status when PCBH was compared to other active treatments. The limited available evidence supports that patient satisfaction with PCBH services is high.

CONCLUSIONS

The implementation of PCBH services is ahead of the science supporting the usefulness of these services. Patient outcomes for PCBH are weaker than outcomes for Collaborative Care. More rigorous investigations of patient outcomes associated with PCBH are needed to allow for optimization of services.

Self-Management Strategies for Stress and Anxiety Used by Nontreatment Seeking Veteran Primary Care Patients

INTRODUCTION

One of the most common reasons individuals do not seek mental health treatment is a preference to manage emotional concerns on their own. Self-management refers to the strategies that individuals use on their own (i.e., without professional guidance) to manage symptoms. Little research has examined self-management for anxiety despite its potential utility as the first step in a stepped care approach to primary care. The objectives of this study were to describe patients' anxiety self-management strategies, identify which types were perceived to be effective, and explore potential correlates.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was an exploratory descriptive study (N = 182) of nontreatment seeking Veterans Health Administration primary care patients (M = 58.3 years of age, SD = 14.9) who reported current anxiety symptoms (≥8 on Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7). The Institutional Review Board approved the study, and all participants provided informed consent. We assessed self-management strategies, anxiety and depression symptoms, and past-year treatment via telephone. Two independent raters coded strategies into 1 of 7 categories (kappa = 0.85) and 23 subcategories (kappa M = 0.82, SD = 0.16).

RESULTS

Participants reported nearly universal (98%) use of self-management, with an average of 2.96 (SD = 1.2) strategies used in the past 3 months, and 91% of all strategies perceived as effective. Self-care (37.0%), cognitive (15.8%), and avoidance (15.1%) strategies were reported most commonly; the most prevalent subcategories were exercise (11.0% of all strategies), redirecting thoughts (9.1%), and family/friends (8.1%). Age and depression screen status were associated with self-management strategy use.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate the ubiquity and high perceived effectiveness of self-management for anxiety among Veteran primary care patients. Although avoidance strategies were fairly common, self-care strategies, particularly exercising, and cognitive strategies, such as redirecting thoughts, were most prevalent in this sample. Strengths of the study include its novelty, our sample of non-treatment seeking Veteran primary care patients with current symptoms, and the open-ended format of the strategies questions. Limitations include reliance on self-report data, dichotomous response options for the perceived effectiveness item, limited number of potential correlates, and sampling from a single medical center. Overall, this research highlights the opportunity that health care providers have to engage primary care patients around self-management to determine what strategies they are using and how effective those strategies may be. Future directions include identification of the most effective and feasible self-management strategies for anxiety to facilitate promotion of evidence-based self-management among primary care patients.

Psychological interventions for anxiety in adult primary care patients: A review and recommendations for future research

Anxiety symptoms are prevalent in primary care, yet treatment rates are low. The integration of behavioral health providers into primary care via the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model offers a promising way to improve treatment options by adding a team member with the necessary skillset to deliver evidence-based psychological interventions for anxiety. We conducted a narrative review of psychological interventions for anxiety applied within adult primary care settings (k = 44) to update the literature and evaluate the fit of existing interventions with the PCBH model. The majority of studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs; 70.5%). Most interventions utilized cognitive-behavioral therapy (68.2%) and were delivered individually, face-to-face (52.3%). Overall, 65.9% of interventions (58.6% of RCTs, 91.7% of pre-post) were effective in reducing anxiety symptoms, and 83.3% maintained the gains at follow-up. Although it is encouraging that most interventions significantly reduced anxiety, their longer formats (i.e., number and duration of sessions) and narrow symptom targets make translation into practice difficult. Methodological limitations of the research included homogenous samples, failure to report key procedural details, pre-post designs, and restrictive eligibility criteria. We offer recommendations to guide future research to improve the likelihood of successful translation of anxiety interventions into clinical practice.

Willingness to Engage in Health Behavior Change Interventions Among Primary Care Patients Positive For Tobacco Use and At-Risk Drinking

Objective

To examine intervention preferences of primary care patients who recently screened positive for tobacco use and at-risk drinking.

Methods

Primary care patients who screened positive for recent tobacco use and at-risk drinking were eligible to participate in a one-time telephone-based survey conducted from August 2015 to December 2015. The survey asked questions about how willingness to engage in an intervention in integrated primary care was influenced by the described format and focus of the intervention. Data from patients who smoked cigarettes and met criteria for at-risk drinking in the last 30 days (N = 53) were included in the analyses.

Results

Participants reported that they would be more willing to engage in an intervention focused on helping them reduce their risk of medical problems than in services focused specifically on discussing cigarette or alcohol use (P = .00). Participants did not indicate a preference related to whether the intervention was delivered during a primary care appointment, immediately following a primary care appointment, or as a scheduled follow-up (P = .693).

Conclusions

Patients may be more willing to engage in a behavior intervention when general health is emphasized over a focus specifically on tobacco or alcohol use. Patients were equally receptive to receiving brief interventions in several different formats available within an integrated primary care setting.

Initial engagement and attrition in a national weight management program: demographic and health predictors

Inconsistent attendance and participant withdrawal limit the effectiveness of weight control programs, but little is known about predictors of initial and ongoing engagement. The purpose of this study was to identify these predictors with respect to the Veterans Affairs MOVE!® program, using medical record data. Logistic regression models were used to predict initial and ongoing engagement (n = 39,862 and 1985, respectively). Those who initially engaged in MOVE!® (vs. did not) were more likely to have high BMIs, to be female, live closer to the medical center, and receive health benefits from the VA; they also were less likely to use tobacco (ps < 0.02). Older veterans were more likely to continue to engage (p < 0.001), with trends toward continued engagement for those with (vs. without) benefits and higher BMIs (ps < 0.10). Findings highlight characteristics that may inform program improvements that promote ongoing engagement and prevent dropouts in a weight management programs.

To clinician innovators: A special invitation

Our vision for this special issue was simple: to inspire clinician innovators working in integrated care to not only consume the literature but also contribute to it. Growing the research capacity of clinician innovators in integrated care is vital for at least three reasons. First and foremost, real-world clinicians have an excellent vantage on the processes and outcomes that relate to the reach or the extent to which the given intervention or model of care engages its intended audience (Klesges, Estabrooks, Dzewaltowski, Bull, & Glasgow, 2005). Second, policy changes within the Affordable Care Act have facilitated the rapid uptake of integrated care in recent years (Beacham, Kinman, Harris, & Masters, 2012; Nash, Khatri, Cubic, & Baird, 2013), but the growth of the published evidence base has not kept pace. Third, clinician innovators in integrated care are well positioned to contribute to the evidence base because of the growing emphasis on demonstrating outcomes in health care. Many of the articles in this special issue highlight specific recommendations that clinician innovators can make to transform a local evaluation into one that produces generalizable findings worthy of publication. Our hope is that this special issue can help dismantle the "research" stereotype and inspire future clinician innovators to become more active participants. (PsycINFO Database Record

Real-world program evaluation of integrated behavioral health care: Improving scientific rigor

INTRODUCTION

Designing systematic, scientifically rigorous program evaluations (PE) is 1 way to contribute to the significant need to build best practices and a stronger evidence base for integrated behavioral health care. However, there are many potential pitfalls when conducting PE in real-world settings, and many clinicians and administrators may be hesitant to engage in PE due to lack of training or resources. Rigorous PE can be achieved feasibly and efficiently.

METHOD

This article discusses common challenges that arise when conducting PE in integrated behavioral health care settings and illustrates ways to increase the methodological quality of PE efforts using lessons learned from 2 real-world case examples. The first example included a PE of a training program for brief alcohol interventions, and the second example included a PE of a depression medication monitoring service.

RESULTS/DISCUSSION

The case examples demonstrate the need for strategic planning beforehand, including the use of a conceptual framework as well as appropriate study designs/methodology, measurement, and the need for consistency to achieve a well-designed PE. Using the recommendations within this article, it is hoped that the quality of PEs can be improved resulting in more generalizable data that can be used to inform organizations and policymakers to improve health care delivery. (PsycINFO Database Record

Mental health measurement among women veterans receiving co-located, collaborative care services

Routine use of measurement to identify patient concerns and track treatment progress is critical to high quality patient care. This is particularly relevant to the Primary Care Behavioral Health model, where rapid symptom assessment and effective referral management are critical to sustaining population-based care. However, research suggests that women who receive treatment in co-located collaborative care settings utilizing the PCBH model are less likely to be assessed with standard measures than men in these settings. The current study utilized regional retrospective data obtained from the Veterans Health Administration's electronic medical record system to: (1) explore rates of mental health measurement for women receiving co-located collaborative care services (N = 1008); and (2) to identify predictors of mental health measurement in women veterans in these settings. Overall, only 8% of women had documentation of standard mental health measures. Measurement was predicted by diagnosis, facility size, length of care episode and care setting. Specifically, women diagnosed with depression were less likely than those with anxiety disorders to have standard mental health measurement documented. Several suggestions are offered to increase the quality of mental health care for women through regular use of measurement in integrated care settings.

Patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3): A potential role in the association between liver disease and bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVE

Due to the increased prevalence of liver disease in patients with bipolar disorder, we examined the potential role of the patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) variant among individuals with bipolar disorder and those with no mood disorder.

METHODS

We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database (aged 15-39 years) to identify a group of individuals with a bipolar diagnosis and a control group of individuals with no mood disorder. A total of 1931 individuals were randomly selected, one from each family containing information on the PNPLA3 genotype to be used in the analysis.

RESULTS

Analyses revealed individuals with the recessive variant genotype (MM) had an adjusted odds ratio for bipolar disorder of about 4.6 compared to individuals with either IM or II genotypes of the PNPLA3 variant.

LIMITATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

Limitations of this study include the use of a lay-administered survey in for diagnosis of bipolar disorder in NHANES. The association between the PNPLA3 variant and bipolar disorder may help guide further work on medication effectiveness, treatment options, prevention approaches, and understanding potential medication side effects among specific subgroups of individuals with the MM genotype.

Mental health predictors of veterans willingness to consider research participation

This study aimed to determine whether mental health factors predict Veterans' willingness to hear about research participation opportunities. A sample of 954 Veterans completed measures to assess psychological functioning and were asked about interest in clinical research opportunities and willingness to share de-identified personal data with researchers. Of these Veterans, 75.8% were willing to listen to research opportunities at their local VA, and 100% agreed to share de-identified information. Poorer mental health correlated with a greater willingness to listen to research opportunities implying that Veterans who are experiencing a greater degree of mental health impairment may be overrepresented in clinical studies.