Intervention Programs For People Research Articles

Open Versus Closed Group Treatment of Men with a History of Sexual Offenses.

Treatment programs for people with histories of sexual violence form a critical part of criminal justice service rehabilitation. Completion of these programs is often a precondition of release. Meta-analytic reviews suggest moderate benefit is associated with treatment completion, although effect sizes vary. This study examined whether commencement of open versus closed group programs was associated with treatment completion and recidivism. Participants were 426 adult men who commenced treatment between April 1, 2014, and December 31, 2017. Participants were followed-up until June 30, 2018. Programs varied by type (open versus closed), location (in-custody versus in-community) and intensity (moderate versus high). No significant differences were observed between open and closed programs for treatment completion but men who were treated in-custody were more likely to complete treatment when compared to those men who commenced treatment in the community. No significant differences were observed between open and closed programs for sexual or for any recidivism.

Psychological discomfort and binge drinking in Mexican adults.

To analyze the relationship between binge drin-king and psychological discomfort in Mexican adults. Mate-rials and methods. We used data from the 2011 National Survey on Addictions in Mexico. A two-stage bivariate probit model with instrumental variables was used to address the potential reverse causality in the association between binge drinking and psychological discomfort. Individuals who had at least one episode of binge drinking in the last year and in the last month are more likely to experience psychological discomfort. This study shows the relevance of developing prevention and treatment programs for people who consume alcohol in excess due to its negative effects on mental health.

Case Series of an ICT-Based Multimodal Intervention Program for People with Major Neurocognitive Disorders: The SENSE-GARDEN Project

There are an increasing number of older persons living with major Neurocognitive Disorders (NCDs). Psychosocial interventions are effective in the management of cognition, mood disorders, behavioural and psychological symptoms.

Health professionals' reflections on existential concerns among people with obesity.

This study aimed to describe health professionals' reflections on existential concerns among people with obesity when attempting to support them in their lifestyle change processes. For many of those affected by obesity, the condition becomes lifelong and causes existential concerns. The health professionals' reflections on existential concerns among people with obesity may influence central aspects of their practice and their patients' well-being. Eighteen health professionals with relevant health education working in three different treatment programmes for people with obesity were recruited for three focus group interviews. The interviews were analysed and interpreted using a model for interpretation of meaning at three levels with a phenomenological-hermeneutical approach. The analysis identified three themes. The health professionals reflected on existential concerns among people with obesity in terms of patients' repressed emotional difficulties and lack of self-respect. In addition, they reflected on their own experiences of powerlessness when presented with people with obesity's existential concerns. The present study provides valuable insights into reflections on existential concerns among people with obesity, based on health professionals' descriptions. We believe that these insights add to the existing literature and have consequences for how people with obesity are met and cared for.

Efficacy of the Therapeutic Game "Trisquel" in the Treatment of Patients With Substance-Related Disorders Randomized Clinical Study.

Substance-related disorders (SRD) have been consistently associated with alterations both in cognitive and executive functions, which affect to patients’ quality of life. The main objective of this work was to test the beneficial cognitive effects on patients with SRD after the implementation of “Trisquel,” an intervention program in board game format. To check the effectiveness of Trisquel program, a group of people diagnosed with SRD was randomly assigned either to the experimental group or to the control group. The experimental group performed Trisquel structured sessions twice a week during 3 months, while the control group performed routinely conventional therapeutic activities with the same frequency and duration. Neuropsychological tests were done to both groups before and after the intervention. After the 3 months of intervention the experimental group showed the following statistically significant improvements for WAIS-III subtests: number key, symbol search, arithmetic, direct digits, inverse digits, total digits, letters-numbers in the processing speed index and in the working memory index. Regarding STROOP tests, statistically significant progress was observed in the phonetic fluency letter P, phonetic fluency letter M, phonetic fluency letter R subtests, word-reading and word-color subtests. The control group only obtained improvements for WAIS-III subtests of arithmetic, letters-numbers and in the working memory index. The results of this study confirm that “Trisquel” is an effective intervention program for people diagnosed with SRD, getting improvements in processing speed (psychomotor and reading), attentional subprocesses (focused and sustained) and executive functions (updating and inhibition).

Association between self-esteem and efficacy and mental health in people with disabilities.

This study aimed to investigate the association among self-evaluations—such as self-esteem and self-efficacy—self report of depression, and perceived stress among Korean individuals with disabilities. Data from the second wave of the Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled (collected from 2016–2018) were used. In 2016 and the follow-up in 2018, 4,033 participants were included. We estimated the annual change in both independent variables and the probability of self-report of depression and stress. Generalized estimating equation model and chi-square test were used. Compared with those whose self-esteem and self-efficacy scores were ≥30, those with scores ≤19 were, respectively, 5.825 (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 4.235–8.011; p < .0001) and 1.494 times (95% CI: 1.233–1.810; p < .0001) more likely to have self-report of depression. The perceived stress of those with self-esteem scores ≤19 or ranging from 20–24 were, respectively, 2.036 (95% CI: 1.510–2.747; p < .0001) and 1.451 times higher (95% CI: 1.269–1.659; p < .0001) than those with self-esteem scores ≥30. There exists an inverse correlation between self-evaluations, such as self-efficacy and self-esteem, and mental health in people with disabilities. The results of this study can be used as a basis for developing interventional strategies and training and intervention programs for people with disabilities. Future research is needed to investigate potential mediating factors among Korean individuals.

Cost and cost-effectiveness of a real-world HCV treatment program among HIV-infected individuals in Myanmar

IntroductionOver half of those hepatitis C virus (HCV)/HIV coinfected live in low-income and middle-income countries, and many remain undiagnosed or untreated. In 2016, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) established a direct-acting...

The feasibility of a Comprehensive Resilience-building psychosocial Intervention (CREST) for people with dementia in the community: protocol for a non-randomised feasibility study

BackgroundA dementia diagnosis can prevent people from participating in society, leading to a further decline in cognitive, social and physical health. However, it may be possible for people with dementia to continue to live meaningful lives and continue to participate actively in society if a supportive psychosocial environment exists. Resilience theory, which focuses on strengthening personal attributes and external assets in the face of serious challenges, may provide a scaffold on which an inclusive multifaceted psychosocial supportive environment can be built. This protocol paper describes a study to determine the feasibility of conducting a multifaceted complex resilience building psychosocial intervention for people with dementia and their caregivers living in the community.MethodsThis is a non-randomised feasibility study. Ten participants with dementia and their primary caregivers living in the community will be recruited and receive the CREST intervention. The intervention provides (a) a 7-week cognitive stimulation programme followed by an 8-week physical exercise programme for people with dementia and (b) a 6-week educational programme for caregivers. Members of the wider community will be invited to a dementia awareness programme and GP practices to a dementia training workshop. Trained professionals will deliver all intervention components. Outcomes will assess the feasibility and acceptability of all study processes. The feasibility and acceptability of a range of outcomes to be collected in a future definitive trial, including economic measurements, will also be explored. Finally, social marketing will be used to map a route toward stigma change in dementia for use in a subsequent trial. Quantitative feasibility outcome assessments will be completed at baseline and after completion of the 15-week intervention while qualitative data will be collected at recruitment, baseline, during and post-intervention delivery.ConclusionThis feasibility study will provide evidence regarding the feasibility and acceptability of a comprehensive multifaceted psychosocial intervention programme for people with dementia and their caregivers (CREST). The results will be used to inform the development and implementation of a subsequent RCT, should the findings support feasibility.Trial registrationISRCTN25294519 Retrospectively registered 07.10.2019

Internalized Stigma among Bedouin and Jews with Mental Illness: Comparing Self-Esteem, Hope, and Quality of Life.

The aim of this study was to assess the differences in internalized-stigma, self-esteem, hope, and quality of life in individuals with mental illness from two diverse cultures (Bedouins and Jews) and to examine the relationships between self-stigma and self-esteem, hope, and quality of life in participants from both cultures. Two hundred participants with mental illness in Israel were assessed on the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) scale. The Arab Bedouin participants tended to internalize stigma to a greater extent than the Jewish participants. Overall, there was a significant negative correlation between self-stigma, self-esteem, and hope and between alienation and quality of life in both groups although the correlation was stronger among the Arab Bedouin participants. By contrast, the associations between self-stigma and quality of life were only significant for two of the self-stigma dimensions (alienation and discrimination) among the Jewish participants. These results contribute to a better understanding of the role internalized stigma may play in the life of people with mental illness from diverse cultures. They may help design culturally appropriate intervention programs for people with mental illness.

Depression symptoms’ impact on personality disorder treatment: Depression symptoms amplifying the interpersonal benefits of negative-affect expression

BackgroundWhile there is some evidence that patients with elevated depression symptoms experience greater benefits from negative-affect expression, this amplifying effect has not been investigated within a psychotherapeutic context. This is particularly notable considering the substantial evidence linking affect expression with desired outcomes across psychotherapeutic approaches. The primary purpose of the present study was to investigate if depression symptoms amplified (i.e., moderated) the association between negative-affect expression and reductions in interpersonal problems for patients in a psychiatric day treatment for personality disorders. The secondary purpose was to investigate milieu (i.e., other patients concurrently enrolled) negative-affect intensity and its association with patients’ reductions in interpersonal problems. MethodsParticipants (N = 239) were patients consecutively admitted into a psychiatric day treatment program for people with personality disorders. Patients completed measures of (1) depression symptoms at pre-treatment, (2) interpersonal problems at pre- and post-treatment, and (3) negative-affect expression each week of treatment. ResultsThe association between patient negative-affect expression and reductions in interpersonal problems was amplified by depression symptoms. Depression symptoms also amplified the association between milieu negative-affect intensity and reductions in interpersonal problems. ConclusionsOur findings indicate that depression symptoms amplified the therapeutic value of negative-affect expression and amplified the value of an affectively intense milieu. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

The development of the ‘Cancer Home-Life Intervention’: An occupational therapy-based intervention programme for people with advanced cancer living at home

Background Occupational therapy-based interventions may help people with advanced cancer to live actively despite their illness. However, there is limited evidence concerning what kinds of content intervention should encompass, and how this should be done. Objective To describe the development and content of an occupational therapy-based intervention programme for people with advanced cancer living at home. Material and methods In the development of the intervention, an evidence synthesis was performed based on a systematic literature search, data from a cross-sectional study, and experiences from an expert panel. Results The programme contains six components: 1) An initial interview to select which of the other five components to address, based on the participants’ individual needs. The interview addressed problems and needs of participants in relation to prioritized activities, in order to tailor the following components: 2) prioritisation of resources, energy and everyday activities; 3) adaptation of activities; 4) adaptation of posture and seating; 5) provision of assistive technology; and, 6) modification of the physical home environment. Conclusion An occupational therapy-based intervention programme for people with advanced cancer living at home has been developed. The study generates knowledge and insights relevant to improving the treatment of this patient group.

Gender differences in self care in type 2 diabetes in rural Kerala

Background: Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) were estimated to have contributed to almost 60% of deaths in the world and 43% of the global burden of disease in 1999. NCDs are rapidly becoming a major public health threat in the developing world. The W.H.O fact file on NCDs states that healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight (self-care) are ways to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes or its complications. Thus, self-care in diabetes is the corner stone in achieving good glycemic control, thereby preventing the onset of diabetes complications which increases the morbidity and mortality of the disease. This study was undertaken to understand the effect of self-care on HbA1C (blood sugar control) among males and females with Type -2 diabetes in a rural population in Kerala. The study tries to draw out the differences in self-care among males and females taking into consideration the patriarchal nature of the society and to understand the gender differences in approaches to self-care. Sex- based differences should be considered when developing awareness and treatment programs for people with diabetes, more precisely in NCD preventive measures specifically for the Indian subcontinent.&#x0D; Materials and methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in a stratified random sample of diabetes patients belonging to the three religious groups found in the study area, in a diabetes treatment center in Kanjirapally taluk of Kottayam district. Based on pilot study, a sample of 300 is chosen with 138 males and 162 females. For part 1 of the questionnaire, demographic details were entered by the researcher and the medical records were accessed to record the relevant details like height, weight, A1C, B.M.I., F.B.S. and chronic conditions of the patients. The selfcare activity of the patients were assessed with the SDSCAS (Summary of diabetes self-care activity scale). It&#x0D; consists a core set of 12 questions to assess the dietary habits, exercise regimen, blood sugar testing, foot care and smoking status for the past 7 days. &#x0D; Results: Since the representative sample is not made of equal number of males and females, comparison of blood sugar control (HbA1C) based on self-care activities for males and females were calculated. The independent sample t-test is highly significant at 0.01 level with respect to general diet, specific diet, dietary adherence and podiatric care. The t-test again shows significance at 0.05 level with respect to physical activities on comparison. &#x0D; Conclusions: The self-care activities varied greatly between males and females. The self-care activities of the females were very poor when compared with the males. The poor self-care activities of the females could be attributed to behaviour conditioned by gender relations prevalent in the society. Women seem to assimilate or internalize the patriarchal subjectivity of the society. But this is a feature of most households not only in the study area but of the country as a whole. This gender difference in self-care can be annihilated by stringent awareness and health education campaigns. NCD prevention strategies should include gender sensitive health promotion measures to achieve the WHO Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD Action Plan).

Approved federal spending bill supports research, CCBHCs

Congress last week passed a $1.4 trillion fiscal year 2020 spending bill which includes several provisions that will fund medical research and treatment programs for people with mental illness and substance use disorders (SUDs), and provide funding for grants to Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHC).

The effect of a narrative intervention program for people living with dementia.

The effect of a narrative intervention program for people living with dementia.

The attenuating effect of depression symptoms on negative-affect expression: Individual and group effects in group psychotherapy for personality disorders.

Across a breadth of psychotherapeutic approaches, feeling affect intensely and then talking about those feelings is a common means for increasing insight and other desired outcomes. While several naturalistic and laboratory studies have found that depression symptoms attenuate (i.e., weaken) the association between negative-affect intensity and negative-affect expression, depression's attenuating effect has not been examined in a psychotherapeutic context. The first aim of the present study was to examine if depression symptoms' attenuating effect on the association between negative-affect intensity and negative-affect expression extended into group psychotherapy. Our second aim was to examine group effects on patients' negative-affect expression. Participants (N = 239) were patients consecutively admitted into a psychodynamic group-psychotherapy day treatment program for people with personality disorders. Patients indicated their negative-affect intensity and negative-affect expression each week that they were in treatment. Depression symptoms were assessed at baseline. Results indicated that depression symptoms attenuated (i.e., moderated) the association between negative-affect intensity and negative-affect expression. Further, while the association between patient intensity and expression increased over the course of treatment, the moderating effect of depression on this association did not vary over treatment. Regarding group effects, group negative-affect intensity was associated with higher levels of patient negative-affect expression. Inversely, group affect expression was associated with lower levels of patient affect expression. Patient depression symptoms did not moderate the association between group negative-affect intensity and patient negative-affect expression. Our findings indicate that while group affect intensity and affect expression impacts patients' expression, depression's attenuating effect on negative-affect expression extends to patient effects but not group effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Outcomes of treatment for hepatitis C in prisoners using a nurse-led, statewide model of care

Treatment programs for people who inject drugs (PWID), including prisoners, are important for achieving hepatitis C elimination targets. There are multiple barriers to treatment of hepatitis C in prisons, including access to specialist physicians, testing and antiviral therapy, short prison sentences, and frequent inter-prison transfer. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of a nurse-led model of care for the treatment of prisoners with hepatitis C. A statewide program for assessment and management of hepatitis C was developed in Victoria, Australia to improve access to care for prisoners. This nurse-led model of care is supported by telemedicine to provide decentralized care within all prisons in the state. We prospectively evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of this nurse-led model of care for hepatitis C within the 14 adult prisons over a 13-month period. The primary endpoint was sustained virological response at post-treatment week 12 (SVR12) using per protocol analysis. There were 416 prisoners included in the analysis. The median age was 41 years, 90% were male, 50% had genotype 3 and 44% genotype 1 hepatitis C and 21% had cirrhosis. Injecting drug use was reported by 68% in the month prior to prison entry, 54% were receiving opioid substitution therapy, and 86% reported never previously engaging with specialist HCV care. Treatment duration was 8 weeks in 24%, 12 weeks in 59%, and 24 weeks in 17% of treatment courses. The SVR12 rate was 96% (301/313) per protocol. Inter-prison transfer occurred during 26% of treatment courses but was not associated with lower SVR12 rates. No treatment-related serious adverse events occurred. Hepatitis C treatment using a decentralized, nurse-led model of care is highly effective and can reach large numbers of prisoners. Large scale prison treatment programs should be considered to support hepatitis C elimination efforts. There is a high burden of hepatitis C infection among prisoners worldwide. Prisoners who continue to inject drugs are also at risk of developing new infections. For this reason, the prison setting provides an opportunity to treat those people at greatest risk of infection and to stop transmission to others. We developed a new method of providing hepatitis C treatment to prisoners, in which nurses rather than doctors assessed prisoners locally at each prison site. Treatment was safe and most prisoners were cured. Such programs will contribute greatly to achieving the World Health Organization's hepatitis C elimination goals.

Correctional and educational intervention programs for domestic violence offenders – Theory and practice

The article focuses on theoretical and practical aspects of correctional and educational intervention programs for people who use domestic violence. It was prepared based on the findings of a study which was conducted by the author in 2015 as part of her master’s dissertation entitled “Domestic violence offenders – Who are they and how can they be helped? A theoretical and empirical study based on correctional and educational intervention programs in Silesia Province,” supervised by Prof. Jacek Wódz, PhD. The article includes: an introduction to the subject, a brief description of research methodology, selected findings and their interpretations, and a summary.

Using learning flexibly and remembering after a delay: understanding cognitive dysfunction in adults with Down syndrome.

Episodic memory deficits are a characteristic of cognitive dysfunction in people with Down syndrome (DS). However, less is known about the processes (i.e. encoding, retention or using learned information flexibly) that underlie these deficits. We explored these abilities by administering a relational memory and inference task to participants with DS and mental age-matched controls and testing both immediately and after a 24-h delay. Adults with DS learned paired associates more slowly than controls but showed good recognition at both the immediate and delayed tests. Despite memory for learned pairs, adults with DS were less able to use relational learning flexibly to make inferential judgements than controls. These results deepen our understanding of the cognitive profile of adults with DS, demonstrating deficits in both encoding new information, and flexibly using such information. These results have important implications for workplace training and intervention programs for people with DS.

From manageable to losing control: a grounded theory study of psychosis risk syndrome.

The purpose of this study is to develop a theoretical explanation of the prodromal schizophrenia process, or so-called psychosis risk syndrome, by describing patients' own experiences with symptoms, thoughts and feelings. A total of 40 interviews were conducted in Taiwan. A Grounded Theory method was selected because of its demonstrated effectiveness in generating theory around dynamic and complex processes on which little is known, all of which is the case with psychosis risk syndrome. Constant comparison analysis, memo writing, member checking, and theoretical sampling were adopted. A core theoretical framework was developed in which the process of the psychosis risk syndrome is described as proceeding from manageable to uncontrollable. Four stages emerged from the analysis: (1) something is wrong, (2) boiling up, (3) breaking point, and (4) losing control. The framework resulting from this Grounded Theory research is innovative in presenting patterns and clinical staging that marks the progression from premorbid stage to full-blown psychosis. In addition to specifying the detailed process through in-depth interviews, this research makes two fundamental contributions by: (1) adding evidence to current science and (2) taking patients' experience into consideration to improve the validity of screening tools and design appropriate intervention programs for people with early warning signs of developing schizophrenia.

The Efficacy of a Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for War-Affected Young Migrants Living in Australia: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Preventative and treatment programs for people at risk of developing psychological problems after exposure to war trauma have mushroomed in the last decade. However, there is still much contention about evidence-based and culturally sensitive interventions for children. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of the Teaching Recovery Techniques in improving the emotional and behavioral outcomes of war-affected children resettled in Australia.Methods and Findings: A cluster randomized controlled trial with pre-test, post-test, and 3-month follow-up design was employed. A total of 82 participants (aged 10–17 years) were randomized by school into the 8-week intervention (n = 45) or the waiting list (WL) control condition (n = 37). Study outcomes included symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as psychosocial functioning. A medium intervention effect was found for depression symptoms. Participants in the intervention condition experienced a greater symptom reduction than participants in the WL control condition, F(1, 155) = 5.20, p = 0.024, partial η2 = 0.07. This improvement was maintained at the 3-month follow-up, F(2, 122) = 7.24, p = 0.001, partial η2 = 0.20.Conclusions: These findings suggest the potential benefit of the school and group-based intervention on depression symptoms but not on other outcomes, when compared to a waiting list control group.Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12611000 948998.