Practitioners' Views of Family Strengths: A Delphi Study

Reported is a research study to assess the opinions of family practitioners on the status of families in Oklahoma. Researchers employed the Delphi method to achieve consensus among key informants in the family practice field about the strengths and weaknesses of Oklahoma families, threats facing families in the state, and means to strengthening family life in Oklahoma. The study yielded qualitative data from the key informants, which the researchers then condensed into response categories to feed back to informants to rate. Family practitioners identified resilience, spirituality, and access to support systems as the greatest strengths, and listed substance abuse, poverty, and generational cycles of dysfunction as the greatest weaknesses of Oklahoma families. Recommendations by these practitioners are given for improvements in addressing family needs.

Ordinary Families -Extraordinary Care Giving

Children with severe emotional problems often have multiple needs that require disparate services including child welfare, juvenile justice, health, mental health, substance abuse, and mental retardation (Stroul, 1996). However, the primary care giving responsibilities for these youngsters still remain with their families. It is the family who shelters and clothes them; provides guidance, affection, recreation, nurturing; gets them to appointments with doctors and therapists and to school dayin- and-day-out, year after year (Lourie, 1995). Despite the invaluable and irreplaceable care provided by families, they are often maligned by a system which characterizes them as having their own problems and inadequacies. The purpose of this research is to learn more about the strengths of families who care for children with severe emotional disabilities (SED). This exploratory descriptive study made use of focus groups attended by parents who are caring for such children. In order to improve services to these families, it is important that we understand how the notion of strengths play out in their everyday lives. Observations are made about the care giving plan, which all families devise in the course of caring for their child with special needs. Implications for paid professionals who serve these families are offered by presenting a model for putting family care givers at the hub of the service provision wheel.

Characteristics and experiences of past participants in the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses

There are nearly 200,000 licensed practicing nurses in the state of Texas, representing one-tenth of the nations' workforce. The prevalence of substance abuse among nurses is estimated to range between six and 20 percent in this professional group.^ Since March 1987, the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses (TPAPN) has offered intervention, education, support and monitoring to nurses in Texas whose practice has become impaired due to substance abuse and/or mental illness. Since then approximately 44 percent of nurses who voluntarily signed participation agreements successfully completed the program; fifty-six percent have not. One determinant of completion for those nurses identified as chemically dependent is abstinence from mood altering substances. Other helping professions report higher rates of abstinence two years following treatment.^ The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between relapse, demographics, treatment variables, work setting, "stress" indicators and support factors for nurses who participated in TPAPN. A questionnaire was mailed to 1000 randomly selected nurses who had signed agreements since 1987 and were no longer active in the program. More than 41% of the questionnaires were returned undeliverable.^ Recipients of the questionnaire were known only to TPAPN, never to the investigator. All information was received anonymously except when the participant chose to sign the questionnaire. A cover letter explaining the study and inviting participation was enclosed. Completion and return of the questionnaire was considered consent to participate.^ Findings demonstrated a significant relationship between relapse and opiates as the drug of choice for past participants in the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses. Significant associations were found among factors such as control at work, support, physical complaints, job security, self-esteem and employment in this sample. Respondents shared copious written comments about their experiences in TPAPN. These data were analyzed using qualitative methods and compared with similar studies of recovering nurses. Further research with nurses whose practice has been affected by abuse of chemical and mental illness is warranted. ^

Psychiatric severity and behavior change in alcoholism

Individuals who are diagnosed with a chronic mental illness and an alcohol use disorder comprise a high risk population that challenges the mental health care system. Effective treatment for the dually diagnosed, who are characterized by heterogeneity in their psychiatric diagnoses, their substance use patterns, and their current degree of dysfunction, presents a challenge. Several integrated treatment models have been developed that attempt to concurrently treat patients' psychiatric and substance abuse problems. At this point in the development of these "dual diagnosis" programs, treatment planning is hindered by a lack of knowledge about the relation of psychiatric severity to the process of recovery from alcohol abuse and dependence.^ The present study sought to advance the field's understanding of the relation between psychiatric severity and the process of behavior change through an examination of the relation between dimensions of psychiatric severity and Prochaska and DiClemente's Transtheoretical Model (TTM) constructs. The TTM, which focuses on identifying the processes of change that appear to underlie the modification of addictive behaviors, provides a way of conceptualizing and measuring specific elements relevant to the desired behavior change. Knowledge of the relation between these constructs and psychiatric severity will enable treatment planners to develop dual diagnosis programs which target clients' needs with a much higher level of specificity.^ One hundred-thirty two alcohol dependent patients in a dual diagnosis treatment program were assessed on psychiatric severity (defined as number of symptoms and level of distress resulting from symptoms) and the Transtheoretical Model constructs. The constructs include stages and processes of change for alcohol use, alcohol decisional balance, and alcohol abstinence self-efficacy. Results indicate that the TTM variable of "temptation to drink" is most strongly related to psychiatric severity: the more psychiatric distress a person is experiencing, the more he or she is tempted to drink. The "cons" of drinking were also related to psychiatric severity, indicating that participants who were experiencing more psychiatric distress also endorsed as important a higher number of the negative aspects of drinking.^ Additional aims of this investigation were to determine whether participants' scores on the Transtheoretical Model variables were associated with their: (a) severity of drinking, defined as frequency, quantity and consequences of use, (b) previous psychiatric and substance abuse treatment episodes, and (c) functional impairment. Associations were found among these variables and each of the key constructs of the Transtheoretical Model. Each association is explored in detail and implications for treatment programming are discussed. ^

Safety and tolerability of slow-release oral morphine versus methadone in the treatment of opioid dependence

Opioid substitution treatment (OST) for opioid dependence may be limited by adverse events (AEs). Increasing the range of therapeutic options optimizes outcomes and facilitates patient management. An international, multi-center, two-phase study investigated the efficacy and safety of slow-release oral morphine (SROM) versus methadone in patients receiving methadone therapy for opioid dependence. In phase 1 (two way cross-over, 11 weeks each period) patients were randomized to SROM or methadone oral solution. In phase 2 (25 weeks), patients continued treatment with SROM (group A) or switched from methadone to SROM (group B). In total, 211 out of 276 completed phase 1 and 198 entered phase 2 (n = 95 group A, n = 103 group B). Treatment with both SROM and methadone was well tolerated. However, the mean QTc-interval associated with methadone was significantly longer than that under SROM. Higher treatment satisfaction, fewer cravings for heroin, and lower mental stress were reported with SROM. This study adds a significant further weight of evidence that SROM is an effective and well tolerated long-term maintenance treatment for opioid dependence with a beneficial risk profile compared to methadone regarding cardiac effects and supports its clinical utility.

Estimating the Prevalence of Illicit Drug Use Among Students Using the Crosswise Model

The aim of our study is to compare the prevalence of illicit drug use estimated through a technique referred to as the “crosswise model” (CM) with the results from conventional direct questioning (DQ). Method: About 1,500 students from Tehran University of Medical Sciences 2009–2010 were first interviewed by DQ and, then three months later, by the CM. Result: The CM yielded significantly higher estimates than DQ for lifetime prevalence of use of any illicit drug (CM = 20.2%,DQ = 3.0%, p < .001) and for lifetime prevalence of use of opium or its residue (CM = 13.6%, DQ = 1.0%, p < .001). Also, for use of any illicit drug in the last month and use of opium or its residue in the last month, the CM yielded higher point estimates than DQ, although these differences were not significant (any drug: CM = 1.5%, DQ = 0.2%, p = .66; opium: CM = 3.8%, DQ = 0.0%, p = .21). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the CM is a fruitful data collection method for sensitive topics such as substance abuse.

The Effect of Classmate Characteristics on Individual Outcomes: Evidence from the Add Health

We use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to examine the effects of classmate characteristics on economic and social outcomes of students. The unique structure of the Add Health allows us to estimate these effects using comparisons across cohorts within schools, and to examine a wider range of outcomes than other studies that have used this identification strategy. This strategy yields variation in cohort composition that is uncorrelated with student observables suggesting that our estimates are not biased by the selection of students into schools or grades based on classmate characteristics. We find that increases in the percent of classmates whose mother is college educated has significant, desirable effects on educational attainment and substance use. We do not find much evidence that the percent of classmates who are black or Hispanic has significant effects on individual outcomes, on average. Additional analyses suggest, however, that an increase in the percent black or Hispanic may increase dropout rates among black students and post-high school idleness among males.

The Associations Between Social, Behavioral, and Health Risk Factors on a High School Student’s Decision to Pursue Post High School Plans

Background: Due to the relationship between SES and health, pursuing post high-school plans can lead to better future health outcomes for the student. The current paper assesses how behavioral and health risk factors, and family and social support, effect a student’s decision to pursue post high school plans. Methods: Data from the Youth Behavioral Component of the 2007 Connecticut School Health Survey were analyzed. Composite measures of exposure to/participation in violent behavior, mental and physical health, family/social support and substance abuse were created. The effects of these domains on the decision to pursue post high-school plans were assessed using logistic regression. Data were stratified by socioeconomic status. Results: Low SES students were more likely than high SES students to be doubtful for post high-school plans. Cocaine abuse emerged as the risk factor that put low SES students at the highest odds of not pursuing post high-school plans, followed by involvement in violent/aggressive behavior, and receiving less family/social support than their peers. Similar findings regarding violence and family/social support were found in the high SES group. Findings regarding substance abuse in the high SES group were not statistically significant. Discussion: Prevention programs regarding violence and substance abuse may have the added benefit of increasing the likelihood that high school students will make post high school plans. Preventing cocaine use among low SES students may be of particular importance. Violence prevention measures should be tailored to the target group. Adequate family/social support emerged as an encouraging factor for post high school plans.

Comparing the factorial structure, invariance, and predictive validity of transtheoretical model constructs for alcohol use across restricted and unrestricted settings

With substance abuse treatment expanding in prisons and jails, understanding how behavior change interacts with a restricted setting becomes more essential. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) has been used to understand intentional behavior change in unrestricted settings, however, evidence indicates restrictive settings can affect the measurement and structure of the TTM constructs. The present study examined data from problem drinkers at baseline and end-of-treatment from three studies: (1) Project CARE (n = 187) recruited inmates from a large county jail; (2) Project Check-In (n = 116) recruited inmates from a state prison; (3) Project MATCH, a large multi-site alcohol study had two recruitment arms, aftercare (n = 724 pre-treatment and 650 post-treatment) and outpatient (n = 912 pre-treatment and 844 post-treatment). The analyses were conducted using cross-sectional data to test for non-invariance of measures of the TTM constructs: readiness, confidence, temptation, and processes of change (Structural Equation Modeling, SEM) across restricted and unrestricted settings. Two restricted (jail and aftercare) and one unrestricted group (outpatient) entering treatment and one restricted (prison) and two unrestricted groups (aftercare and outpatient) at end-of-treatment were contrasted. In addition TTM end-of-treatment profiles were tested as predictors of 12 month drinking outcomes (Profile Analysis). Although SEM did not indicate structural differences in the overall TTM construct model across setting types, there were factor structure differences on the confidence and temptation constructs at pre-treatment and in the factor structure of the behavioral processes at the end-of-treatment. For pre-treatment temptation and confidence, differences were found in the social situations factor loadings and in the variance for the confidence and temptation latent factors. For the end-of-treatment behavioral processes, differences across the restricted and unrestricted settings were identified in the counter-conditioning and stimulus control factor loadings. The TTM end-of-treatment profiles were not predictive of drinking outcomes in the prison sample. Both pre and post-treatment differences in structure across setting types involved constructs operationalized with behaviors that are limited for those in restricted settings. These studies suggest the TTM is a viable model for explicating addictive behavior change in restricted settings but calls for modification of subscale items that refer to specific behaviors and caution in interpreting the mean differences across setting types for problem drinkers. ^

Does parental monitoring influence the use of alcohol and drugs among inner city 7th grade students?

Objective. To examine associations between parental monitoring and adolescent alcohol/drug use. ^ Methods. 981 7th grade students from 10 inner-city middle schools were surveyed at the 3 month follow-up of an HIV, STD, and pregnancy prevention program. Data from 549 control subjects were used for analyses. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine associations between five parental monitoring variables and substance use, coded as: low risk [never drank alcohol or used drugs (0)], moderate risk [drank alcohol, no drug use (1)], and high risk [both drank alcohol and used drugs or just used drugs (2)]. ^ Results. Participants were 58.3% female, 39.6% African American, 43.8% Hispanic, mean age 13.3 years. Lifetime alcohol use was 47.9%. Lifetime drug use was 14.9%. Adjusted for gender, age, race, and family structure, each individual parental monitoring variable (perceived parental monitoring, less permissive parental monitoring, greater supervision (public places), greater supervision (teen clubs), and less time spent with older teens) was significant and protective for the moderate and high risk groups. When all 5 variables were entered into a single model, only perceived parental monitoring was significantly associated (OR=0.40, 95% CI 0.29-0.55) for the moderate risk group. For the high risk group, 3 variables were significantly protective (perceived parental monitoring OR=0.28, CI 0.18-0.42, less time spent with older teens OR=0.75, CI 0.60-0.93, and greater supervision (public places) OR=0.79, CI 0.64-0.99). ^ Conclusion. The association between parental monitoring and substance abuse is complex and varied for different risk levels. Implications for intervention development are addressed. ^

Get ur 60: A social marketing campaign to promote and facilitate physical activity among Central Texas middle school students

If allowed to continue unabated, the obesity epidemic may lead to the first decline in life expectancy in the developed world (Olshansky et al., 2005). Similar to the relationship between smoking habits in youth and adulthood, obesogenic dietary and physical activity habits in childhood may persist into adulthood (Kelder et al., 2002). Teaching children how to establish healthy eating habits and activity levels, as well as providing them the necessary resources to internalize and maintain these behaviors, may be the key to curbing this epidemic.^ A school-based obesity prevention approach is advantageous for many reasons including exposure to large captive audiences, reduced costs of sustainability and long-term maintenance, and generalizability of models and results across multiple populations. The effectiveness of school-based programs has been researched over the past 20 years, with promising results.^ Social marketing is a program-planning process that “facilitates the acceptance, rejection, modification, abandonment, or maintenance of particular behaviors” (Grier & Bryant, 2005). Social marketing has been shown to be effective in a variety of public health applications including improving diet, increasing physical activity, and preventing substance abuse. It is hypothesized that social marketing could further enhance the effectiveness of the Coordinated Approach To Child Health (CATCH) Central Texas Middle School Project, a school-based obesity prevention program.^ The development, implementation, and initial evaluation of the get ur 60 campaign, to promote the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended sixty minutes of daily activity, is described in this paper. Various components of the get ur 60 campaign were assessed to evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign during the first semester of implementation. At the end of the spring semester focus groups were held to collect student reactions to the first semester of the get ur 60 campaign.^ The initial results from the first semester of get ur 60 have demonstrated that the campaign as designed was feasible to implement, accepted at all intervention schools, and resulted in a measure of success. ^

Identifying characteristics of mentally ill homeless individuals who are successfully linked to health and social services post-incarceration via the jail inreach project

Healthcare for the Homeless—Houston (HHH) received a research grant from The Medallion Foundation, Inc. in March 2006 to pilot The Jail Inreach Project, an intensive “inreach” initiative to assess the impact of providing continuity of mental and primary health care services for homeless individuals who suffer from mental illness and/or substance abuse being released from jail. This pilot project was initiated by HHH, in collaboration with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the Mental Health Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County (MHMRA). Those who are flagged as “frequent flyers” and who are diagnosed with a mental illness are referred to the Jail Inreach Project. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the discharge plan, case managers offer the option of meeting the client at the time of release and bring them to the HHH clinic located four blocks from the jail. Participation in both the program and the option for direct release to the care of a case manager are voluntary.^ The purpose of this study is to determine the outcomes of the Jail Inreach Project and addresses the following objectives: (1) to evaluate the characteristics of inmates that chose to be released from jail to the direct care of an HHH case manager versus those who opt for self release and (2) to determine the number and percent of inmates that are linked to services and relationship with type of release (direct versus indirect), (3) to determine if there is a relationship between outcomes and characteristics and (4) to determine what outcomes are a function of release, controlling for characteristics. Statistical analysis, including frequencies, cross tabulations, chi-square and logistical regression, found that those who opt for self release are six times less likely to be successfully linked to services and that gender is the most significant predictor of choosing self release. Men are far more likely to opt for self release than women engaged in this program. These findings help inform policy and program design and development that addresses the difference in service utilization and successful linkage to services post-incarceration. Successful linkage to services, thus continuity of and access to care, further impact the effects of the revolving door phenomenon of mentally ill homeless individuals cycling between the streets, jails and hospital emergency centers.^

THE DISCHARGED PSYCHIATRIC PATIENT: POST-HOSPITAL ADJUSTMENT AND FACTORS AFFECTING REHOSPITALIZATION

Discharged psychiatric patients were studied six months post-discharge to determine those demographic, social and clinical characteristics affecting positive or negative adjustment and the degree to which the use of mental health services and medication compliance mediated the effects. With the exception of those with primary or secondary diagnoses of OBS, substance abuse or mental retardation, sixty-three psychiatric subjects between the ages of eighteen and sixty-four were chosen from all admissions into the hospital and interviewed six months after discharge using a specially designed questionnaire.^ The subjects' adjustment to community living was found to be marginal. Although not engaged in destructive activities, over half were living with their family members who supported them financially and emotionally. Most were unemployed and had been so for a long time. Others worked sporadically and frequently changed residences. Most did have substantial social ties with extended family and with friends with whom they interacted regularly, but one-fourth were socially isolated. Almost three-quarters continued to obtain regular mental health services after discharge and followed medication instructions under the supervision of their physician. The use of mental health services after discharge and the use of medication did not appear to affect the subjects' community adaption or their rate of rehospitalization.^ Forty percent of those discharged were rehospitalized by the end of the follow-up period. Four levels of risk of rehospitalization emerged. The highest risk was associated with a history of five or more prior hospitalizations, living alone, and social isolation. One third or more of the subjects expressed a need for more counseling, leisure time activities, case-manager assistance, vocational guidance, supervised housing, and placement into a transitional residential treatment program.^ Recommendations were made to enhance the ability to predict recidivism, to develop interorganizational casework management programs linking the patient and family to the community mental health system and to create computerized tracking and monitoring programs that systematically report patient treatment regimen and progress cross-sectionally and longitudinally. ^

PREPAID MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

The purpose of this 1982 national survey of all operational prepaid health plans, or PHPs (including health maintenance organizations), was to provide information on the current coverage of PHP mental health and substance abuse services, benefits and service provision, general and mental health organization characteristics, mental health service costs, and physical and mental health service utilization.^ Two survey instruments were designed, pretested and distributed to all operational PHPs throughout the United States. A total of 237 PHPs were surveyed, of which 205 (86.50 percent) completed and returned both questionnaires.^ One result of the rapid growth in the PHP field over the past ten years has been the expansion in both the number of PHPs as well as the organizational characteristics of these PHPs. However, little attention in the research literature has been given to the application of empirical results to the PHP arrangements. This project has attempted to contribute to current knowledge regarding prepaid mental health services from a national perspective, and explore, on a preliminary descriptive basis, the variety of potential service delivery arrangements for physical and mental health services (total services) and for mental health services.^ The study emphasized that PHPs must continue to monitor the costs and utilization of mental health services, particularly in light of the apparent elimination of data collection and statistical summary responsibilities within the federal government regarding PHP activities as well as the proposed legislation to eliminate mandated mental health and substance abuse services from basic health plan benefits for federally qualified PHPs. ^

Sudden Infant Death disparities: A systematic review on health education and policy recommendations for decreasing Sudden Infant Death in the African-American community

Objective: To perform a systematic review of the literature on SIDS and SUID deaths concentrated in the African-American community, describe health education and policy recommendations and recommend a new approach that may aid in decreasing the disparity of infant mortality in the African-American community. ^ Methods: The PubMed database was systematically searched to identify relevant articles for final review and analysis. Using the CASP 2006 system to critique literature, twelve articles were found that met inclusion and exclusion criteria. ^ Results: Evidence in the literature confirmed there was a current disparity among African Americans' infant mortality rates in comparison to other US ethnic groups. The underlying reasons for these disparities included the following maternal and infant characteristics: mothers younger than eighteen, having more than one live infant, having a high school education or less, never been married, and have infants born preterm or with low birth weight. Maternal smoking, substance abuse, and breastfeeding did not have a significant impact on infant sleep environments among African Americans. ^ Conclusion: Tailored health education programs at the community level, better access to pre-pregnancy and prenatal care, and increased maternal perception of risk that is relevant to the infants sleeping environment are all possible solutions that may decrease African American infant mortality rates.^