Telephone Intervention Research Articles

Knowledge, attitude, and experience of dentists toward child abuse and neglect. A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Context: Child abuse and neglect can be described as all kinds of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, neglect, commercial and/or any other type of exploitation resulting in any potential of causing hurt or an actual form of harm to a child’s general health, growth, survival, and dignity. The dentist is in a position to identify physical signs of physical abuse in a child hence, it is important to gauge the knowledge level and perception regarding child abuse and neglect. Aim: The aim of the present study was to ascertain the knowledge, attitude, and experience regarding child abuse and neglect among dentists in India. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive, survey-based study was conducted on 100 dental practitioners all over India using a pre-validated questionnaire. The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee. Responses received were recorded in an Excel Worksheet and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square statistical tool using SPSS software (version 21.0). Results: We found that 85% of respondents reported child abuse cases of a physical and sexual nature and 87% had knowledge that law enforcement agencies are responsible for reporting such cases. Also, 56% believed that such cases could be reported using electronic mail while other sources were telephone, letters, or personal intervention. Only 12% were fearful of litigation and 24% were concerned about such exposure to a child. Conclusion: A total of 11% of dentists experienced barriers in reporting such cases while 17% reported with no barriers. Child abuse and neglect are often underreported due to various reasons. This survey has attempted to assess the knowledge, attitude, and experience about child abuse and neglect and has found a few prominent reasons for not reporting such incidents.

Safe transition home after transcatheter aortic valve implantation feasibility (START-F) study: Very early self-reported function and recovery status after early discharge

Abstract Background Despite significant excellent outcomes and significant improvements in rapid recovery protocols and early discharge, rates of 30-day readmission after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remain stubbornly high. There can be numerous drivers for readmission in older people with valvular heart disease; the time of transition home is the period of greatest risk when patients are most vulnerable to repeat hospitalization. We sought to assess patients’ early recovery (< post-procedure day 3) to inform the evaluation of a nurse-led telephone intervention to mitigate the risks of 30-day readmission after early (1 day) discharge TAVI. Methods We conducted a prospective observational cohort feasibility study in five Canadian TAVI programs to ascertain acceptability, compliance, delivery of the intervention, recruitment and retention. In this preliminary report, we assessed key indicators of patients’ status at the time of discharge and functional status in their early recovery. Results We recruited 188 participants, mean age 81.6 years (SD=7.0), 41.5% women with baseline mean KKCQ 53.4 (SD=20.1). Patients were admitted on the day of the procedure, and underwent TAVI with a balloon-expandable (n=146, 77.6%) or self-expanding (n=30, 16.0%) device, with local anaesthesia +/- light sedation (n=171, 90.1%) or general anaesthesia (n=17, 9.0%). There was 1 in-hospital death (0.5%) and 182 (97.4%) were discharged home. At the time of the 3-day telephone follow-up, 168 (95.5%) reported that an individual had stayed with them during the first 24 hours [spouse: 85 (48.9%); friend: 77 (44.3%)], and 165 (93.3%; missing: 11) were able to complete all activities of daily living, including cooking their own meals (n=80, 45.5%). Self-reported energy was low/very low for 49 participants (26.1%), moderate for 93 (52.8%), and high/very high for 34 (18.1%), with 104 (55.3%) describing feeling somewhat or quite a bit better than before TAVI, and 24 (12.8%) somewhat or quite a bit worse. Bruising was present in 120 participants (68.6%) and 137 (78.8%) had removed their bandage as instructed. 18 participants were readmitted within 30 days, including 14 cardiac-related events. Conclusion This is one of the first reports of TAVI patients’ self-reported function following next-day discharge, providing novel evidence that most patients describe safe self-care and very early improved functional status. Research is needed to identify and support patients who are at higher risk of poorer trajectories of recovery and readmission, and report the feasibility of a nurse-led intervention to mitigate these risks.

Psychosocial and mental health concerns among elderly people during COVID-19: Findings from national helpline in India

ABSTRACT Background: WHO reported that the epidemic SARS-CoV-2 spread was a public health emergency of international tension in January 2020 and pandemic in March 2020. In this regard, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) launched a national helpline with the support of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for addressing psychosocial issues and mental health concerns of people during the COVID-19 pandemic. The recorded calls made to the National Psychosocial Support helpline were analysed to elicit the psychosocial issues seen among the elderly during the pandemic. Methods: The data of 70 randomly selected helpline callers were collected by using the sociodemographic data sheet and the semistructured questionnaire. The study employed descriptive research design. Results: In total, 71.1% of callers belonged to the 60-70 years’ age group. 57.1% of callers had approached the helpline by themselves. 38.6% of the callers had reported a preexisting mental illness, of which the majority (33%) reported anxiety and/or sleeplessness. 28.6% of callers complained of comorbid medical issues. Interventions provided to the callers were in the form of supportive psychotherapy (84.28%), the COVID-19-related information (72.85%), referral services (62.9%), lifestyle modifications (41.42%), and behavioural activation (35.71%). Conclusion: Study findings indicate that the older population encountered several mental health issues during COVID-19, and the telephonic interventions were the most feasible, accessible, and helpful method to reach out to them.

The Use of Telehealth for People With Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review and Narrative Synthesis.

To identify the use of telehealth for people with disabilities in community or primary care settings and to explore effective telehealth interventions for this group. Systematic literature review and narrative synthesis. The literature search was conducted in January 2024 using five electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane library and PsycINFO. The review followed the Tawfik's guideline and adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines for reporting. Out of 7363 retrieved articles, 1871 duplicates were removed, 5389 were excluded after title and abstract review, and 4 were excluded due to unavailable full text. One additional article was obtained through citation and hand searching. Thirteen studies were quality assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Quantitative data were narratively synthesised. Thirteen quantitative studies were selected including three quasi-experimental studies and ten randomised controlled trials. The types of telehealth included telemonitoring, computerised intervention, virtual reality, telephone care, mHealth tools, decision support tools, digital storytelling and technology-assisted language interventions. The most common type of disability was intellectual disability, and the most common telehealth provider was the digital device itself. Most studies used surveys as the data collection method and the interventions were mostly conducted individually. Computer-based telehealth interventions demonstrated significant improvement in attention, health knowledge and psychological well-being. Telephone, virtual reality and tablet interventions also had positive impacts on body weight, motor coordination and pragmatic language skills. Telemonitoring was also beneficial. This systematic review examined the current state and effectiveness of telehealth interventions for people with disabilities. However, few intervention studies were found, and some studies were of poor quality. Continued interest and efforts from the government and researchers are needed targeting people with disabilities. Results provide valuable insights for healthcare providers, policymakers and researchers. They raise awareness about the potential of telehealth to address healthcare disparities and improve access to care for people with disabilities. No patient or public contribution: Systematic review.

Treatment adherence and wellness, nutrition, and physicalactivity outcomes of diabetic patients with comorbiddepression during the 18-month follow-up of the TELE-DD study.

A good adherence to pharmacological treatment in chronic pathologies such as type 2 diabetes and clinical depression is essential to improve illness prognosis. The main goal of the TELE-DD study was to analyze the effectiveness of a telephone, psychoeducational, and individualized intervention carried out by nurses in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and comorbid clinical depression with prior nonadherence to pharmacological treatment. In this paper, we describe and analyze secondary outcomes of the trial intervention. A prospective cohort study was used to assess the effectiveness of a telephonic intervention (IG) in n = 191 participants with a similar control group (CG). Adherence to pharmacological treatment was assessed using the patient's self-perceived adherence questionnaire. In addition to clinical (HbAc1, HDL, LDL), physical (body mass index, blood pressure) and psychological measures (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 affective state), and psychosocial distress due to Diabetes Distress Scale Questionnaire at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months of follow-up were also analyzed. The proportion of "Total Adherents" in the IG was higher throughout the study. This was particularly true at month 18 of the intervention. Self-perceived adherence rates increased by 27.1% in the IG and by 1.1% in the CG. Results of clinical and physical measures were higher in the IG than in the CG at month 18 of the intervention. The interview based on positive reinforcement as well as individualized attention and flexibility in making telephone calls and dissemination of the intervention in the media closest to the patients were key to achieving good participation and collaboration as well as continuity in adherence to treatment and self-care.

Community Health Workers as Mental Health Paraprofessionals: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Pilot Feasibility Study.

Community health workers (CHWs) are effective in delivering behavioral activation (BA), especially in low-resource settings. In an area with a lack of Spanish-speaking mental health counselors, such as southwest Montana, CHWs can provide needed care. The goal of this pilot study protocol is to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a model of care that engages CHWs as providers of BA. We will train 2 CHWs in BA methodology. We will enroll 20 participants who screen positive for depression in a 12-week telephone intervention for BA. Preliminary efficacy will be tested in pre- and postscores of the Beck Depression Inventory and semistructured interviews. Feasibility and acceptability will be measured through participant retention and treatment adherence. The Therapeutic Alliance with Clinician Scale will be used to measure the strength of the therapeutic relationship. Descriptive statistics will measure alliances and repeated measures ANOVA will measure trends and changes in depression scores. Enrollment began in October 2023. A total of 12 participants completed at least 10 BA sessions and all study measures by the time the study concluded in May 2024. In August 2024, data analysis occurred with an anticipated manuscript to be submitted for publication in October 2024. Results from this study will inform future studies into the implementation of an evidence-based mental health intervention in a limited resource setting for Latino people with limited English proficiency. DERR1-10.2196/57343.

CN97 Impact of a proactive telephone intervention led by the advanced practice nurse aimed at symptom control and toxicity detection on the quality of life of outpatients with lung cancer undergoing treatment

CN97 Impact of a proactive telephone intervention led by the advanced practice nurse aimed at symptom control and toxicity detection on the quality of life of outpatients with lung cancer undergoing treatment

Improving uptake of colorectal cancer screening by complex patients at an academic primary care practice: a feasibility study

BackgroundRegular screening reduces mortality from colorectal cancer (CRC). The Canton of Vaud, Switzerland, has a regional screening programme offering faecal immunochemical tests (FITs) or colonoscopy. Participation in the screening programme...

Improving Linkage for Patients With Injection-Drug-Use-Related Endocarditis and Osteomyelitis to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Through a Telephone Intervention.

The opioid overdose crisis has continued to worsen, with a concomitant increase in serious injection-related infections, such as endocarditis and osteomyelitis. Usual care of these infections involves long-term intravenous antibiotics, typically administered via a peripherally inserted central venous catheter (PICC) at home. In patients with a history of opioid use disorder who inject drugs, a PICC has long been viewed as a high-risk intervention that may contribute to illicit substance use due to ease of venous access; thus, providers are often uncomfortable discharging these patients home to complete their antibiotics. As a result, many patients remain hospitalized or are discharge to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) in order to complete their antibiotics. Challenges to this model include difficulty finding SNFs that will accept these patients, inability for these SNFs to continue their medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and inability to coordinate care with outpatient MOUD providers at SNF discharge. This quality improvement project sought to increase linkage to outpatient MOUD on SNF discharge via a telephone intervention. A total of 11 patients qualified for this intervention. Although patients were still in an SNF, 4/7 (57.1%) of patients were successfully contacted. Once they were discharged from the SNF, only 3/10 (30.0%) of patients were successfully reached. Of those 30.0% who were contacted, all of them had attended their outpatient MOUD appointment. We suggest that future linkage interventions in this population may benefit from utilizing existing care team members to facilitate linkage, to maximize the rapport built during an inpatient stay.

The Effect of Psychosocial Interventions on Gambling Disorder: A Systematic Review

Gambling is an unlawful act that has negative consequences for the life, health, and welfare of individuals, families, and communities. One of the efforts made to reduce the health impacts of gambling is by providing psychosocial interventions. This systematic review aims to examine the effect of various types of psychosocial interventions on gambling disorders. The systematic review was conducted on Clinical Key, Clinical Key for Nursing, Science Direct, ProQuest, Scopus, Sage Journal and Springer Link, Ebsco databases with searches conducted between October - December 2023. Screening articles according to inclusion criteria in the form of full-text articles, English, and published between 2012 and 2023. The initial search results obtained 4,194 articles. Then the initial screening was carried out through reading the title and abstract so that 215 articles were left to be processed to the next stage. In the next stage, the author checked the duplication of the article, so that 51 articles were obtained. In the fourth stage, the author read the full text and obtained a total of 10 articles. The results of the 10 articles reviewed found that CBT, motivational intervention, telephone counseling, and brief intervention are various types of psychotherapy that can help overcome gambling disorders. It is not clear which therapy is better among these therapies, but all therapies have their advantages and disadvantages, which are adjusted to the client's condition. Providing psychosocial interventions such as a combination of Motivational Interview Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, telephone counseling, and Brief Telephone Intervention can provide an effective solution to help individuals overcome gambling disorders and begin the journey of recovery. The use of Motivational Interviewing therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, telephone counseling, and Brief Therapy can be used in clinical and community settings to treat gambling disorder problems.

Strategies aiming to improve statin therapy adherence in older adults: a systematic review

BackgroundRandomized clinical trials have shown that, under optimal conditions, statins reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in older adults. Given the prevalence and consequences of suboptimal adherence to statin among older adults, it is essential to document strategies designed to increase statin adherence in this population. The objective of this systematic review is to describe and summarize the effectiveness of interventions to improve statin adherence in older adults (≥ 65 years old).MethodsThis review followed PRISMA guidelines. Studies were identified from PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, CINAHL and Web of Science. Study selection was conducted independently by four reviewers working in pairs. Included studies reported data on interventions designed to increase adherence to statin therapy in older adults and were original trials or observational studies. Interventions were pragmatically regrouped into 8 different categories going from patient to administrative level. Two reviewers extracted study data and assessed study quality independently. Given the heterogeneity between the included studies, a narrative critique and summary was conducted.ResultsTwelve out of the 2889 identified articles were included in the review. Our review showed that simplifying patients’ drug regimen, administrative improvements and large-scale pharmacy-led automated telephone interventions show positive effects on patient adherence to statin therapy, with odds ratios between > 1.0 and 3.0, while education-based strategies and intensified patient care showed mixed results.ConclusionsCurrent evidence suggests that some interventions can increase statin adherence in older adults, which could help in the reduction of the risk of a cardiovascular event in this population.

A couple-based unmet supportive care needs intervention for colorectal cancer couples: A preliminary feasibility study

PurposeTo support colorectal cancer couples cope with cancer, we developed a couple-based unmet supportive care needs intervention program guided by the Supportive Care Needs Framework and examined the feasibility, acceptability, and initial effects of the unmet supportive care needs program. MethodsThe design of a pre-and post-intervention study was conducted among Chinese colorectal cancer couples. The intervention was delivered in five sessions through in-person and telephone interventions combined. To measure program feasibility through recruitment and retention rates, and to test program acceptability through quantitative and qualitative post-intervention program assessments. The complete data (N = 20 pairs) were used to calculate effect sizes to assess the initial intervention effect. ResultsThere was evidence of the feasibility of the intervention program in terms of recruitment (66.7%) and retention (83.3%) rates. Participants' satisfaction with the program also attested to its acceptability. The intervention (Cohen's = 0.15–0.56) had a small-moderate effect size in improving unmet supportive care needs and most cancer-adapted outcomes for colorectal cancer couples, validating the initial effect of the program. ConclusionsThe unmet supportive care needs program is feasible, acceptable, and preliminarily effective in supporting Chinese colorectal cancer couples to improve unmet supportive care needs and cancer adaptability, as provided by this study.

Abstract PO3-09-09: Interventions to improve adherence to oral endocrine therapy for prevention or treatment of breast cancer in African American women of low socioeconomic status

Abstract Introduction: Adherence to oral endocrine therapy (OET) for the prevention and treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (BC) is important as they reduce the risk of new or recurrent BC. OET adherence is greatly compromised in women of lower socioeconomic status (SES). We have recently reported that patients belonging to the African American race, with longer time on OET, and using OET in the prevention setting are more likely to be non-adherent to OET. Therefore, our study aims to design unique patient-centered interventions and pilot test their feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness in improving OET adherence in African American women of low SES. Patients and Methods: This prospective study includes adult, African American women on OET for either the prevention or treatment of BC at Harris Health System in Houston, Texas, serving the underserved patient population with low SES. The first intervention is a motivational interviewing (MI) based telephone intervention consisting of an initial phone call followed by five monthly follow-up calls with an MI-trained pharmacy student. The second intervention is a theatre-based educational video with a script developed by a local African American playwright, featuring African American women. Three African American BC survivors with experience in taking OET consulted with the study team to convey their BC journey and explain challenges with taking OET. They provided feedback on the script and production of the educational video. Informed consent was obtained verbally via phone in the MI intervention and electronically for the educational video intervention. Individuals in both intervention groups were compensated with Walmart eGift cards. Pre- and post-intervention adherence was measured using the proportion of days covered (PDC) over 6-12 months and compared using a paired t-test. Participants also complete a survey at the end of the interventions to determine their acceptability. The survey responses were summarized descriptively. Results: For the MI intervention initiated in 20 patients, the median age and BMI of study participants was 61 years (range: 49-71) and 30.8 (range: 22.3-57.8) respectively. All participants identified their ethnicity as non-Hispanic or Latino. The majority of participants had hypertension (n=13, 65%) and/or hyperlipidemia (n=11, 55%) with depression (n=3, 15%) and diabetes (n=8, 40%) being less common. The most common stage of BC cancer was stage I (n=9, 45%), followed by stage II (n=4, 20%), stage 0 (n=3, 15%) and then stage III (n=2, 10%) and IV (n=2, 10%). Letrozole was the most common OET (n=13, 65%), followed by tamoxifen (n=3, 15%), anastrozole (n=2, 10%) and exemestane (n=2, 10%). Most participants were not on a CDK 4/6 inhibitor (n=18, 90%). The median number of years on therapy was 2.8 (0.6-4.5). The median pre-intervention PDC for OET was 0.7 (range: 0.2-0.9). The MI intervention is expected to be complete by October 2023 for all patients. For the educational video intervention, 7 out of the anticipated 25 participants have been enrolled in the intervention. All patients were taking OET for BC treatment and not prevention. Letrozole (n=3, 43%) and anastrozole (n=3, 43%) were the most utilized OET, followed by exemestane (n=1, 14%). While 5 participants (71%) in this intervention reported not missing any OET doses in the past week, 2 patients (29%) reported missing all 7 doses within the past week. After watching the educational video, most participants (n=6, 86%) reported that they strongly agreed to take their OET regularly. The recruitment of study participants for this intervention is ongoing. Conclusion: In this study, we report that MI and educational video interventions are feasible. The interventions and analysis of their effectiveness and acceptability are ongoing. Citation Format: Camille Johnson, Ann Adigwe, Nicole Ekezie, Bilqees Fatima, Zahra Majd, Keith Houk, Tejal Patel, Rob Shimko, Onyebuchi Ononogbu, Susan Abughosh, Meghana Trivedi. Interventions to improve adherence to oral endocrine therapy for prevention or treatment of breast cancer in African American women of low socioeconomic status [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO3-09-09.

Effects of sports therapy on improvement of menopausal symptoms, psychological status, and body morphology in perimenopausal women.

The aim of this study was to increase the treatment rate of perimenopausal women by providing evidence-based nonpharmaceutical treatments through developing scientific evidence-based sports therapy and verifying its effectiveness. In a cross-over design, a total of 33 women were assigned to two different sequences of intervention: sports therapy and telephone intervention (n = 17) or telephone intervention and sports therapy (n = 16). A self-reported clinical symptom survey was conducted before and after the experimental and control periods using the following measures: the Menopause Rating Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire 9, and Patient Health Questionnaire 15. There were significant differences in the changes in the scores for Menopause Rating Scale total (exercise phase, 17.8 ± 5.5 at baseline [B] and 13.5 ± 4.2 at follow-up [F]; control phase, 15.9 ± 6.0 [B] and 15.4 ± 5.3 [F]; P < 0.01), somatic symptoms (exercise phase, 9.5 ± 2.6 [B] and 6.6 ± 2.0 [F]; control phase, 8.5 ± 2.8 [B] and 8.0 ± 1.3 [F], P < 0.01), and urogenital symptoms (exercise phase, 4.9 ± 1.7 [B] and 4.1 ± 1.4 [F]; control phase, 4.3 ± 1.6 [B] and 4.4 ± 1.5 [F]; P < 0.01) between the exercise and control phases. There were also significant differences in the changes in the scores for PHQ-9 (exercise phase, 4.6 ± 4.4 [B] and 3.6 ± 3.3 [F]; control phase, 4.5 ± 3.8 [B] and 5.5 ± 4.6 [F]; P = 0.008) and PHQ-15 (exercise phase, 7.2 ± 4.4 [B] and 5.5 ± 3.5 [F]; control phase, 6.8 ± 4.4 [B] and 7.2 ± 4.9 [F]; P = 0.009) between the two phases. Sports therapy would improve menopause symptoms, especially somatic and urogenital symptoms. In addition, sports therapy would improve depressive moods in perimenopausal women.

Loneliness improved by either telephone or video communications in community-dwelling older adults

Purpose/hypothesisLoneliness and social isolation increase the risk of morbidity, and mortality. Various interventions, with and without use of technology, have improved older adults’ loneliness. The purpose of the study was to compare the impact of telephone versus video communications on perceived loneliness in older adults. It was hypothesized that video communication would result in improved outcomes compared to telephone communication. Materials/methodsEighteen hundred flyers were distributed among continuing care communities, meals on wheels, and snowball sampling was encouraged. Sixty-five potential participants responded, 44 were eligible to participate after application of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants were assigned into a telephone interaction group (n = 17), a video interaction group (n = 14), or control group (n = 13). Study duration was 8 weeks and consisted of once weekly 45 to 60-minute sessions. Pre-post-intervention outcome measures included UCLA Loneliness Scales (3 and 20-item), and the Social Frailty Scale (SFS). Data analyses were performed with One-Way ANOVA and Tukey's HSD post hoc tests. ResultsOne-way ANOVA demonstrated statistically significant differences between groups (p=.003 UCLA 3, p<.001 UCLA 20, p<.001 SFS) with large effect sizes (eta2= 0.251 UCLA3, 0.410 UCLA20, 0.314 SFS). Tukey's HSD demonstrates statistically significant differences between intervention groups and the control group for each dependent variable (p<.011) but identified no significant differences between intervention groups for any dependent variables (p>.283). ConclusionHealth care professionals can improve loneliness and social isolation through low-tech telephone and video-based communication interventions.

Impact of a peer-support programme to improve loneliness and social isolation due to COVID-19: does adding a secure, user friendly video-conference solution work better than telephone support alone? Protocol for a three-arm randomised clinical trial

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has forced the implementation of physical distancing and self-isolation strategies worldwide. However, these measures have significant potential to increase social isolation and loneliness. Among older people, loneliness...

Motivational telephone intervention to risk gamblers by a state-owned gambling operator in Sweden.

Few studies have tested the effect of a motivational telephone intervention from a gambling operator to clients with high-risk gambling practices. This study aimed to study subsequent limit setting, self-exclusions and gambling post-intervention, compared to controls. The study assessed a motivational, personalized telephone intervention by the state-owned Swedish gambling operator AB Svenska Spel within its subsection of sports, poker, online casino and bingo gambling. Clients successfully reached with the telephone intervention (n = 1,420) were compared to clients who could not be reached (n = 1,504). Gambling practices during 8 weeks pre-intervention were assessed, and outcome measures limit setting, self-exclusion, and gambling 4 weeks post-intervention. The telephone intervention was associated with increased limit settings (10 vs. 5 percent, p < 0.001), self-exclusions (11 vs. 8 percent, p < 0.01), lowered theoretical losses (p < 0.001), but not significantly associated with gambling abstinence (18 vs. 15 percent, p = 0.07). In unadjusted analyses of sub-groups, significant associations of the intervention with full gambling abstinence were seen in people who gamble on online casino/bingo (19 vs. 14 percent, p < 0.01), but not in sports bettors. In logistic regression, the intervention was not associated with full week 1-4 abstinence. A personalized motivational telephone intervention to people displaying high-risk gambling, delivered by a gambling operator, is promising, and effects were seen on the uptake of responsible gambling tools post-intervention. Effects may be more pronounced in users of chance-based, online games, than in sports bettors.

A computer-assisted telephone collaborative care intervention provided by lay providers for the treatment of comorbid depression and at-risk drinking: Analysis of a randomized controlled trial

IntroductionVirtual collaborative care for people with comorbid depression and at-risk drinking lacks strong evidence. Our aim was to assess the impact of 12 months of telephone collaborative care (tCC) versus enhanced usual care (eUC) on depression and drinking. MethodsWe performed a secondary analysis of the Primary care Assessment and Research of a Telephone intervention for Neuropsychiatric conditions with Education and Resources study (PARTNERs), a blinded randomized controlled trial. We examined 144 participants with comorbid depression and at-risk drinking, of which 129 were from the original sample whose data have been published, and 15 were studied since the original report had been published. PARTNERs compared eUC consisting of usual care plus assessment of symptoms at baseline, and 4, 8, and 12 months later vs. tCC consisting of eUC plus telephone-based coaching and symptom monitoring provided by a lay mental health technician to patients supervised by a psychiatrist. The study assessed depression response and remission using logistic regression; we assessed trajectory of drinking using Generalized-estimating equations (GEE). Baseline factors associated with likelihood of not exceeding number of drinks at 12 months were identified using decision trees. ResultstCC produced a faster decline in the number of drinks than eUC (Wald Χ2 = 9.47, p = 0.02). However, drinking and depression outcomes did not differ significantly between the two groups at the end of treatment. Higher alcohol consumption at baseline (≥18 standard drinks per week in the tCC group and ≥11 standard drinks per week in the eUC group) was associated with a higher likelihood of having at-risk drinking after 12 months of treatment. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that, compared to eUC, tCC may accelerate drinking reductions in patients with comorbid depression and at-risk drinking. Both treatments were equally effective at the end of treatment for both depression and drinking outcomes.

Reaching out to big losers: Exploring intervention effects using individualized follow-up.

Previous research suggests that a brief duty-of-care telephone call to high expenditure customers was associated with lower gambling over the subsequent year. The current aim was to assess effects on individual trajectories rather than overall group effects reported previously. The objective was to identify different patterns of individual change over the follow-up year and explore differential responses of subgroups of individuals. A matched pair design contrasting the outcome for telephone intervention with a no-intervention control condition. Five hundred and ninety-six statistical pairs randomly drawn from the top 0.5% of customers based upon annual expenditure at Norsk Tipping, Norway. Primary outcome measure was gambling theoretical loss (TL), derived from the Norsk Tipping gambling data warehouse. Player trajectories across time were identified using growth mixture modeling to assess differential intervention effects on homogenous subgroups of individuals. Relatively low, medium, and high TL subgroups were identified. The telephone intervention was associated with greater reductions than the control condition for all three subgroups but showed the strongest effect for the subgroup with the highest TL. The intervention was most effective for casino and sport gamblers, male, young, and middle-aged. A brief duty of care telephone contact with high expenditure customers showed sustained effects over 12 months, in particular for individuals showing the highest level of TL. Examining trajectories using advanced statistical models identified customer characteristics most strongly associated with reduced TL. These findings can guide prevention strategies with evidence-based knowledge about differential effects. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

A Cognitive-Existential Telephone Intervention to Improve Existential Quality of Life in Advanced Cancer

A Cognitive-Existential Telephone Intervention to Improve Existential Quality of Life in Advanced Cancer