Evidence For Psychological Interventions Research Articles

Surgery for Craniosynostosis: Developing a Psychosocial Booklet for Families.

Parents of children with craniosynostosis may experience psychological distress, particularly during intensive periods of treatment. Yet, recent research indicates parents may not be accessing the support they need to cope with common challenges. The aim was to develop an evidence-based booklet to promote psychological health in families undergoing surgery and to assess the acceptability of the booklet among the craniosynostosis community. Researchers collaborated with UK charity Headlines Craniofacial Support, 5 parent representatives, and 2 specialist clinical psychologists to develop the booklet based on data obtained from online focus groups, individual interviews, and written accounts. The draft booklet was attached to an online acceptability survey and distributed to a broader group of parents and multidisciplinary craniofacial specialists for feedback. A total of 52 complete responses to the online acceptability survey were received, and acceptability (measured by the number of respondents who would recommend the booklet) was 100%. All respondents supported the UK-wide distribution of the booklet. Evidence for psychological intervention in the craniofacial field remains scarce, and specialist teams may be under-resourced to effectively screen and support families. It is hoped this booklet can begin to address the gap in psychological support for families affected by craniosynostosis.

A Booklet to Promote Psychological Health in New Families Affected by Craniosynostosis.

Recent research indicates that parents of children with craniosynostosis may be at risk of emotional distress. Yet, parents may not be accessing the support they need to cope with common challenges. The aim of this project was to develop a research-informed booklet to promote psychological health in new families, and to assess acceptability of the booklet within the craniosynostosis community. The first draft was designed in close collaboration with leading UK charity Headlines Craniofacial Support 5 parent representatives, and 3 specialist clinical psychologists via online focus groups. The draft booklet, attached to an online acceptability survey, was distributed to a broader group of parents and multidisciplinary specialists working in craniofacial teams in England for feedback. A total of 44 complete responses to the online acceptability survey were received. Acceptability (measured by the number of respondents who would recommend the booklet) was 100%. All respondents reported they "agreed" or "strongly agreed" with the UK-wide distribution of the booklet. Evidence for psychological intervention in the craniofacial field remains scarce, and specialist teams may be under-resourced to effectively screen and support parents. It is hoped this booklet will begin to address the gap in psychological support for new families affected by craniosynostosis.

Contextualization of psychological treatments for government health systems in low-resource settings: group interpersonal psychotherapy for caregivers of children with nodding syndrome in Uganda

BackgroundEvidence for the effectiveness of psychological treatments in low- and middle-income countries is increasing. However, there is a lack of systematic approaches to guide implementation in government health systems. The objective of this study was to address this gap by employing the Replicating Effective Programs (REP) framework to guide contextualization of a psychological treatment in the Uganda public health system for caregivers of children affected by nodding syndrome, a neuropsychiatric disorder endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa associated with high morbidity and disability.MethodsTo contextualize a psychological treatment, we followed the four components of the REP framework: pre-conditions, pre-implementation, implementation, and maintenance and evolution. A three-step process involved reviewing health services available for nodding syndrome-affected families and current evidence for psychological treatments, qualitative formative research, and analysis and documentation of implementation activities. Stakeholders included members of affected communities, health care workers, therapists, local government leaders, and Ministry of Health officials. Detailed written, audio, and video documentation of the implementation activities was used for content analysis.ResultsDuring the pre-condition component of REP, we selected group interpersonal therapy (IPT-G) because of its feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness in the local setting, and availability of locally developed training materials. During the pre-implementation component, we adapted the training, logistics, and technical assistance strategies in conjunction with government and stakeholder working groups. Adaptations included content modification based on qualitative research with caregivers of children with nodding syndrome. During the implementation component, training was shortened for feasibility with government health workers. Peer-to-peer supervision was selected as a sustainable quality assurance method. IPT-G delivered by community health workers was evaluated for fidelity, patient outcomes, and other process-level variables. More than 90% of beneficiaries completed the treatment program, which was effective in reducing caregiver and child mental health problems. With the Ministry of Health, we conducted preparatory activities for the maintenance and evolution component for scale-up throughout the country.ConclusionsThe REP framework provides a systematic approach to guide contextualization of psychological treatments for delivery in low-resource public health systems. Specific recommendations are provided for REP’s application in global mental health.Trial registrationISRCTN11382067; 08/06/2016; retrospectively registered

Evaluating effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a group psychological intervention using cognitive behavioural strategies for women with common mental disorders in conflict-affected rural Pakistan: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundThe impact of humanitarian disasters upon mental health is well recognised. The evidence for psychological interventions for mental health is mounting, but few interventions have been rigorously tested in humanitarian settings. To be sustainable in humanitarian settings interventions need to be short, simple, deliverable by nonspecialists under supervision, and adopt a transdiagnostic approach where an array of mental health outcomes are addressed simultaneously. These elements have been incorporated into the newly developed WHO Problem Management Plus (PM+) Group intervention. The aim of this trial is to evaluate the locally adapted PM+ Group intervention for women in Swat, Pakistan.MethodsThis PM+ Group trial is a two-arm, single-blind, cluster randomised controlled trial conducted in a community-based setting with women in rural Pakistan. PM+ is delivered in partnership with the Lady Health Worker (LHW) Programme which provides community-based health care to women in Pakistan. Thirty-four LHW clusters will be randomised in a 1:1 allocation ratio using a permuted-block randomisation method. Participants screened and found to meet the inclusion criteria will be allocated to either the PM+ intervention group (n = 306), or the control arm (n = 306). The manualised PM+ intervention involves five sessions, each lasting 3 h, and introduces four strategies applied by participants to problems that they are facing. It is delivered by local female facilitators with a minimum of 16 years of education who are provided with targeted training and supervision. The primary outcome is individual psychological distress, measured by levels of anxiety and depression on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at 20 weeks after baseline. Secondary outcomes include major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, levels of social support, levels of functioning, and economic effectiveness. Intervention acceptability will be explored through an embedded qualitative study.DiscussionThe PM+ Group trial will provide important evidence on the effectiveness of an empirically supported psychological treatment delivered by nonspecialists in a humanitarian setting. If proven effective, the qualitative component will inform strategies for PM+ Group scale-up in health systems in other humanitarian settings.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, identifier: ACTRN12616000037404. Registered on 19 January 2016; WHO Protocol ID RPC705, v.4, 2 November 2015.

Psoriasis and Psycho-Dermatology

IntroductionPsoriasis is a common, long-term skin condition associated with high levels of psychological distress and considerable life impact. The impact of psoriasis, beyond the skin, is often not recognised and under-treated.MethodsThis paper explores the relationship between psychological distress and psoriasis including reference to the ‘brain–skin access’. The life impact of psoriasis is discussed and pharmacological interventions which affect distress associated with psoriasis and psychological interventions are reviewed. Evidence from peer-reviewed journals and controlled trials inform the text.ResultsPsoriasis has a profound impact on mental health and well-being which is under-recognised by clinicians. The sympathetic adrenal medullary axis and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis are likely to be involved in the onset of psoriasis and there may also be an effect from inflammation in the skin on the central release of corticotrophin-releasing hormone. Psoriasis can be stigmatising and may affect all aspects of life including relationships, employment, social life and leisure activities. There is some evidence for psychological interventions being effective in the management of distress associated with psoriasis and psoriasis itself. Studies, however, have used disparate outcomes and methods and largely involve low numbers of patients. There is very limited access to psychological support for the patients with psoriasis despite evidence of high levels of psychological distress and considerable life impact.ConclusionsPsoriasis is a long-term skin condition associated with high levels of distress and considerable life impact, both of which are under-recognised. Routine screening for distress with access to effective treatment is required. There is a need for high-quality studies to assess the effect of psychological intervention in patients with psoriasis both to inform guidance and facilitate the provision of effective psychological support services.

Psychological interventions in the rehabilitation of patients with chronic low back pain

The purpose of the article is to summarize evidence and recommendations for psychological interventions in the rehabilitation of patients with chronic low back pain. We carried out a systematic literature search in several databases and on the websites of professional associations to identify relevant reviews and guidelines. In addition to the electronic search, a handsearch was carried out. Eligible publications were selected. We extracted and summarized both evidence for psychological interventions and recommendations on psychological diagnostics and interventions. Six systematic reviews and 14 guidelines were included. We collected recommendations and partially restricted evidence on the following psychological interventions: behavioural therapy, fear-avoidance training, stress management, relaxation therapy, patient education and back school. Most available evidence for psychological interventions in the rehabilitation of patients with chronic low back pain is of moderate to low quality. In addition, some of the older evidence is inapplicable to modern interventions using a biopsychosocial approach. Thus, high quality and current evidence is needed. The summary of guidelines shows that multimodal, multidisciplinary programmes including psychological interventions have become standard in the rehabilitation of patients with chronic low back pain. In most guidelines, however, there are no recommendations on which (psychological) intervention should be considered for which specific problem (problem-treatment pairs). Suggestions for future research and future guidelines are made.

Systematic review and meta-analyses of psychosocial interventions for veterans of the military

Background: The efficacy of psychosocial therapies for common mental health disorders in veterans is unclear and requires further examination.Method: Systematic review and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Twenty databases were searched. Studies were included if they reported a psychosocial intervention designed to treat or reduce common mental health symptoms in veterans identified as being symptomatic at the time they entered the study. Studies of substance dependency disorders and psychosis were excluded. Eligible studies were assessed against methodological quality criteria and data were extracted and analysed.Results: Twenty-nine RCTs were identified. There was evidence for the use of trauma-focused therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and some evidence for psychological interventions in the treatment of borderline personality disorder, depression, insomnia, and panic disorder co-morbid to PTSD. However, methodological quality of many of the studies was less than optimal.Conclusions: Trauma-focused psychological therapies are likely to be effective for combat-related PTSD but there is a need for more research to determine the efficacy of psychological treatments for other mental health disorders in veterans.For the abstract or full text in other languages, please see Supplementary files under Article Tools online

Psychologische Interventionen in der Rehabilitation von Patienten mit koronarer Herzerkrankung: Zusammenfassung der Evidenz und der Empfehlungen aus systematischen Übersichtsarbeiten und Leitlinien

To summarize national and international evidence and recommendations for psychological interventions in the rehabilitation of patients with coronary heart disease. Background is a project for the development of evidence-based practice guidelines for psychological interventions in the rehabilitation of patients with coronary heart disease. A systematic literature search in several databases and on the websites of professional associations was conducted in order to identify relevant reviews and guidelines. A handsearch was conducted in addition to the electronic search. Eligible publications were selected, and evidence for psychological interventions was extracted as well as recommendations relative to psychological diagnostics or interventions. 5 systematic reviews and 34 guidelines were included. Recommendations and (partially restricted) evidence from systematic reviews was found for the following psychological interventions: patient counselling and health education; screening and treatment of comorbid psychological disorders; occupational counselling; stress management; relaxation training; interventions for smoking cessation; interventions promoting appropriate nutrition and weight management; interventions enhancing sufficient, regular physical activity; interventions enhancing social support; specific interventions for women; involvement of family members or partners; discussion of sexual activity. For several psychological interventions in the treatment of patients with coronary heart disease we found empirical evidence from systematic reviews. For other psychological interventions, no empirical evidence from systematic reviews was found. The summary of guidelines shows that both in Germany and abroad, a number of psychologically grounded interventions are an inherent part of cardiac rehabilitation. However, many recommendations which refer to psychological diagnostics and interventions are not precise enough to guide psychological care of individual patients. In particular, there are no statements in many guidelines on which (psychological) treatments should be considered for which problems. Moreover, hardly any evidence or recommendations were found for specific interventions referring to special groups of patients (e.g., women, patients with low socio-economic status or migration background). Further research is needed in these respects in order to answer questions concerning the indication and effectiveness of such tailored interventions.

What's it like to work with a clinical psychologist of a specialist learning disabilities service? Views from people with learning disabilities

Accessible Summary We want to know what people with learning disabilities think about working with clinical psychologists. We interviewed eight people with learning disabilities about their experience of seeing a clinical psychologist. We summarised all the information we got from the interviews to share it with other professionals and with service users. We used the information to make our psychology service more helpful for our service users. We want to include the views of people with learning disabilities in planning our psychology service. SummaryClinical psychologists are well placed to work with people with learning disabilities given the high prevalence of psychiatric disorders in this population and the specialist training undertaken by psychologists. The evidence for psychological interventions in learning disabilities is scarce compared to the evidence for mainstream psychological interventions. This is because of the methodological issues in conducting quantitative research. A way forward to add to the evidence is to use qualitative methods to investigate the views of people with learning disabilities. The aim of the present study was to explore the views of eight people with learning disabilities about their experiences of working with clinical psychologists. Thematic analysis revealed three themes from the narratives: the therapeutic relationship, change and the expectations/perceptions of participants about clinical psychologists. When developing the quality of clinical psychology services for people with learning disabilities, providers should consider the views of people with learning disabilities in accordance with government policy. Limitations of the study are highlighted and further research suggested.