Supporting Implementation Through Online Learning Communities: Lessons Learned From a National Training and Technical Assistance Network

Recent implementation science frameworks highlight the role of training and technical assistance (TTA) in building workforce capacity to implement evidence-based practices (EBPs). However, evaluation of TTA is limited. We describe three case examples that highlight TTA by three regional centers in the national Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) network. Each MHTTC formed Learning Communities (LCs) to facilitate connections among behavioral health professionals with the goals of sharing implementation strategies, discussing best-practices, and developing problem solving techniques. Data on outcomes were collected through a combination of self-report surveys and qualitative interviews. LC participants reported strong connectedness, gains in knowledge and skills, improvements in implementation capacity, and intentions to advocate for organizational and systems-level change. Furthermore, across the case examples, we identified LC characteristics that are associated with participant perceptions of outcomes, including tailoring LC content to workforce needs, providing culturally relevant information, engaging leaders, forming connections among participants and trainers, and challenging participants' current workplace practices. These findings are interpreted through the lens of the Interactive Systems Framework, which focuses on how TTA, such as LCs, can facilitate connections between the theoretical and empirical foundations of interventions and the practices of implementing interventions in real-world settings to advance workforce capacity.

Collaborative care approaches for people with severe mental illness

BACKGROUND

Collaborative care for severe mental illness (SMI) is a community-based intervention that promotes interdisciplinary working across primary and secondary care. Collaborative care interventions aim to improve the physical and/or mental health care of individuals with SMI. This is an update of a 2013 Cochrane review, based on new searches of the literature, which includes an additional seven studies.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness of collaborative care approaches in comparison with standard care (or other non-collaborative care interventions) for people with diagnoses of SMI who are living in the community.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Study-Based Register of Trials (10 February 2021). We searched the Cochrane Common Mental Disorders (CCMD) controlled trials register (all available years to 6 June 2016). Subsequent searches on Ovid MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO together with the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (with an overlap) were run on 17 December 2021.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) where interventions described as 'collaborative care' were compared with 'standard care' for adults (18+ years) living in the community with a diagnosis of SMI. SMI was defined as schizophrenia, other types of schizophrenia-like psychosis or bipolar affective disorder. The primary outcomes of interest were: quality of life, mental state and psychiatric admissions at 12 months follow-up.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Pairs of authors independently extracted data. We assessed the quality and certainty of the evidence using RoB 2 (for the primary outcomes) and GRADE. We compared treatment effects between collaborative care and standard care. We divided outcomes into short-term (up to six months), medium-term (seven to 12 months) and long-term (over 12 months). For dichotomous data we calculated the risk ratio (RR) and for continuous data we calculated the standardised mean difference (SMD), with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We used random-effects meta-analyses due to substantial levels of heterogeneity across trials. We created a summary of findings table using GRADEpro.

MAIN RESULTS

Eight RCTs (1165 participants) are included in this review. Two met the criteria for type A collaborative care (intervention comprised of the four core components). The remaining six met the criteria for type B (described as collaborative care by the trialists, but not comprised of the four core components). The composition and purpose of the interventions varied across studies. For most outcomes there was low- or very low-certainty evidence. We found three studies that assessed the quality of life of participants at 12 months. Quality of life was measured using the SF-12 and the WHOQOL-BREF and the mean endpoint mental health component scores were reported at 12 months. Very low-certainty evidence did not show a difference in quality of life (mental health domain) between collaborative care and standard care in the medium term (at 12 months) (SMD 0.03, 95% CI -0.26 to 0.32; 3 RCTs, 227 participants). Very low-certainty evidence did not show a difference in quality of life (physical health domain) between collaborative care and standard care in the medium term (at 12 months) (SMD 0.08, 95% CI -0.18 to 0.33; 3 RCTs, 237 participants). Furthermore, in the medium term (at 12 months) low-certainty evidence did not show a difference between collaborative care and standard care in mental state (binary) (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.28; 1 RCT, 253 participants) or in the risk of being admitted to a psychiatric hospital at 12 months (RR 5.15, 95% CI 0.67 to 39.57; 1 RCT, 253 participants). One study indicated an improvement in disability (proxy for social functioning) at 12 months in the collaborative care arm compared to usual care (RR 1.38, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.95; 1 RCT, 253 participants); we deemed this low-certainty evidence. Personal recovery and satisfaction/experience of care outcomes were not reported in any of the included studies. The data from one study indicated that the collaborative care treatment was more expensive than standard care (mean difference (MD) international dollars (Int$) 493.00, 95% CI 345.41 to 640.59) in the short term. Another study found the collaborative care intervention to be slightly less expensive at three years.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

This review does not provide evidence to indicate that collaborative care is more effective than standard care in the medium term (at 12 months) in relation to our primary outcomes (quality of life, mental state and psychiatric admissions). The evidence would be improved by better reporting, higher-quality RCTs and the assessment of underlying mechanisms of collaborative care. We advise caution in utilising the information in this review to assess the effectiveness of collaborative care.

The association between county-level mental health provider shortage areas and suicide rates in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVE

Prior literature has shown that mental health provider Health Professional Shortage Areas (MHPSAs) experienced a greater increase in suicide rates compared to non-shortage areas from 2010 to 2018. Although suicide rates have been on the rise, rates have slightly decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study sought to characterize the differences in suicide rate trends during the pandemic by MHPSA status.

METHOD

We used generalized estimating equation regression to test the associations between MHPSA status and suicide rates from 2018 to 2021. Suicide deaths were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research.

RESULTS

MHPSA status was associated with higher suicide rates (adjusted IRR:1.088 [95% CI, 1.024-1.156]). Furthermore, there was a significant interaction between MHPSA status and year (adjusted IRR:1.056 [95% CI, 1.022-1.091]), such that suicide rates did not significantly change among MHPSAs but slightly decreased among non-MHPSAs from 2018 to 2021.

CONCLUSIONS

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a slight decrease in suicide rates among non-MHPSAs, while those with shortages experienced no significant changes in suicide rates. It will be important to closely monitor MHPSAs as continued at-risk regions for suicide as trendlines return to their pre-pandemic patterns.

High-Acuity Alcohol-Related Complications During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Importance

Research has demonstrated an association between the COVID-19 pandemic and increased alcohol-related liver disease hospitalizations and deaths. However, trends in alcohol-related complications more broadly are unclear, especially among subgroups disproportionately affected by alcohol use.

Objective

To assess trends in people with high-acuity alcohol-related complications admitted to the emergency department, observation unit, or hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on demographic differences.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This longitudinal interrupted time series cohort study analyzed US national insurance claims data using Optum's deidentified Clinformatics Data Mart database from March 2017 to September 2021, before and after the March 2020 COVID-19 pandemic onset. A rolling cohort of people 15 years and older who had at least 6 months of continuous commercial or Medicare Advantage coverage were included. Subgroups of interest included males and females stratified by age group. Data were analyzed from April 2023 to January 2024.

Exposure

COVID-19 pandemic environment from March 2020 to September 2021.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Differences between monthly rates vs predicted rates of high-acuity alcohol-related complication episodes, determined using claims-based algorithms and alcohol-specific diagnosis codes. The secondary outcome was the subset of complication episodes due to alcohol-related liver disease.

Results

Rates of high-acuity alcohol-related complications were statistically higher than expected in 4 of 18 pandemic months after March 2020 (range of absolute and relative increases: 0.4-0.8 episodes per 100 000 people and 8.3%-19.4%, respectively). Women aged 40 to 64 years experienced statistically significant increases in 10 of 18 pandemic months (range of absolute and relative increases: 1.3-2.1 episodes per 100 000 people and 33.3%-56.0%, respectively). In this same population, rates of complication episodes due to alcohol-related liver disease increased above expected in 16 of 18 pandemic months (range of absolute and relative increases: 0.8-2.1 episodes per 100 000 people and 34.1%-94.7%, respectively).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study of a national, commercially insured population, high-acuity alcohol-related complication episodes increased beyond what was expected in 4 of 18 COVID-19 pandemic months. Women aged 40 to 64 years experienced 33.3% to 56.0% increases in complication episodes in 10 of 18 pandemic months, a pattern associated with large and sustained increases in high-acuity alcohol-related liver disease complications. Findings underscore the need for increased attention to alcohol use disorder risk factors, alcohol use patterns, alcohol-related health effects, and alcohol regulations and policies, especially among women aged 40 to 64 years.

The association between neighborhood-level social fragmentation and distressing psychotic-like experiences in early adolescence: the moderating role of close friends

BACKGROUND

Early exposure to neighborhood social fragmentation has been shown to be associated with schizophrenia. The impact of social fragmentation and friendships on distressing psychotic-like experiences (PLE) remains unknown. We investigate the relationships between neighborhood social fragmentation, number of friends, and distressing PLE among early adolescents.

METHODS

Data were collected from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Generalized linear mixed models tested associations between social fragmentation and distressing PLE, as well as the moderating role of the number of total and close friends.

RESULTS

Participants included 11 133 adolescents aged 9 to 10, with 52.3% being males. Greater neighborhood social fragmentation was associated with higher levels of distressing PLE (adjusted β = 0.05; 95% CI: 0.01-0.09). The number of close but not total friends significantly interacted with social fragmentation to predict distressing PLE (adjusted β = -0.02; 95% CI: -0.04 to <-0.01). Among those with fewer close friends, the association between neighborhood social fragmentation and distressing PLE was significant (adjusted β = 0.07; 95% CI: 0.03-0.11). However, among those with more close friends, the association was non-significant (adjusted β = 0.03; 95% CI: -0.01 to 0.07).

CONCLUSIONS

Greater neighborhood social fragmentation is associated with higher levels of distressing PLE, particularly among those with fewer close friends. Further research is needed to disentangle aspects of the interaction between neighborhood characteristics and the quality of social interactions that may contribute to psychosis, which would have implications for developing effective interventions at the individual and community levels.

Associations Between Childhood Area-Level Social Fragmentation, Maladaptation to School, and Social Functioning Among Healthy Youth and Those at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS

Although studies have identified social fragmentation as an important risk factor for schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, it is unknown whether it may impact social functioning. This study investigates whether social fragmentation during childhood predicts maladaptation to school as well as social functioning during childhood and adulthood.

STUDY DESIGN

Data were collected from the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study. Participants included adults at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P) and healthy comparisons (HC). Maladaptation to school and social functioning during childhood were assessed retrospectively and social functioning in adulthood was assessed at baseline.

STUDY RESULTS

Greater social fragmentation during childhood was associated with greater maladaptation to school (adjusted β = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.40). Social fragmentation was not associated with social functioning during childhood (unadjusted β = -0.08; 95% CI: -0.31 to 0.15). However, greater social fragmentation during childhood predicted poorer social functioning in adulthood (adjusted β = -0.43; 95% CI: -0.79 to -0.07). Maladaptation to school mediated 15.7% of the association between social fragmentation and social functioning. The association between social fragmentation and social functioning was stronger among adults at CHR-P compared to HC (adjusted β = -0.42; 95% CI: -0.82 to -0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

This study finds that social fragmentation during childhood is associated with greater maladaptation to school during childhood, which in turn predicts poorer social functioning in adulthood. Further research is needed to disentangle aspects of social fragmentation that may contribute to social deficits, which would have implications for the development of effective interventions at the individual and community levels.

No Improvement In Mental Health Treatment Or Patient-Reported Outcomes At Medicare ACOs For Depression And Anxiety Disorders

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) have become Medicare's dominant care model because policy makers believe that ACOs will improve the quality and efficiency of care for chronic conditions. Depression and anxiety disorders are the most prevalent and undertreated chronic mental health conditions in Medicare. Yet it is unknown whether ACOs influence treatment and outcomes for these conditions. To explore these questions, this longitudinal study used data from the 2016-19 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, linked to validated depression and anxiety symptom instruments, among diagnosed and undiagnosed fee-for-service Medicare patients with these conditions. Among patients not enrolled in ACOs at baseline, those who newly enrolled in ACOs in the following year were 24 percent less likely to have their depression or anxiety treated during the year than patients who remained unenrolled in ACOs, and they saw no relative improvements at twelve months in their depression and anxiety symptoms. Better-designed incentives are needed to motivate Medicare ACOs to improve mental health treatment.

Associations between childhood ethnoracial minority density, cortical thickness, and social engagement among minority youth at clinical high-risk for psychosis

An ethnoracial minority density (EMD) effect in studies of psychotic spectrum disorders has been observed, whereby the risk of psychosis in ethnoracial minority group individuals is inversely related to the proportion of minorities in their area of residence. The authors investigated the relationships among area-level EMD during childhood, cortical thickness (CT), and social engagement (SE) in clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P) youth. Data were collected as part of the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study. Participants included 244 ethnoracial minoritized (predominantly Hispanic, Asian and Black) CHR-P youth and ethnoracial minoritized healthy controls. Among youth at CHR-P (n = 164), lower levels of EMD during childhood were associated with reduced CT in the right fusiform gyrus (adjusted β = 0.54; 95% CI 0.17 to 0.91) and right insula (adjusted β = 0.40; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.74). The associations between EMD and CT were significantly moderated by SE: among youth with lower SE (SE at or below the median, n = 122), lower levels of EMD were significantly associated with reduced right fusiform gyrus CT (adjusted β = 0.72; 95% CI 0.29 to 1.14) and reduced right insula CT (adjusted β = 0.57; 95% CI 0.18 to 0.97). However, among those with greater SE (n = 42), the associations between EMD and right insula and fusiform gyrus CT were not significant. We found evidence that lower levels of ethnic density during childhood were associated with reduced cortical thickness in regional brain regions, but this association may be buffered by greater levels of social engagement.

Addressing the Mental Health Crisis in Youth-Sick Individuals or Sick Societies?

This Viewpoint examines whether increased anxiety and depression among youth is a true epidemic of psychiatric disorders or a reflection of sociopolitical adversity and disorganization.

Medical marijuana access and prolonged opioid use among adolescents and young adults

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Laws liberalizing access to medical marijuana are associated with reduced opioid analgesic use among adults, but little is known about the impact of such policies on adolescents and young adults.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study used 2005 to 2014 claims from MarketScan® Commercial database, which covers all 50 states and Washington D.C. The sample included 195,204 adolescent and young adult patients (aged 12-25) who underwent one of 13 surgical procedures.

RESULTS

Of the 195,204 patients, 4.8% had prolonged opioid use. Several factors were associated with a higher likelihood of prolonged opioid use, including being female (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-1.33), longer hospital stay (aOR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.06), greater days of index opioid supply (8-14 days: aOR, 1.39, 95% CI, 1.33-1.45; greater than 14 days: aOR, 2.42, 95% CI, 2.26-2.59), rural residence (aOR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.01-1.14), and cholecystectomy (aOR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08-1.25). There was not a significant association of medical marijuana dispensary laws on prolonged opioid use (aOR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.81-1.18).

CONCLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE

Medical marijuana has been suggested as a substitute for opioids, but our results focusing on adolescents and young adults provide new evidence that this particularly vulnerable population does not exhibit reductions in prolonged use of opioids after surgery when they have legal access to medical marijuana. These findings are the first to demonstrate potentially important age differences in sustained use of opioids, and point to the need for prescriber oversight and management with this vulnerable population.

Residential instability during adolescence predicts earlier age at onset of psychosis: The moderating role of extraversion

INTRODUCTION

Residential instability (RI) during adolescence is associated with poor health outcomes. Also, extraversion has been shown to be a moderator of these associations. However, the associations between RI, extraversion, and age at onset of psychosis (AOP) remain unknown.

METHODS

Data were collected from patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP). Linear regression models assessed the association between RI during adolescence and AOP. Extraversion was tested as a moderator using the interaction term RI-by-extraversion.

RESULTS

Among 89 participants with FEP, both RI (adjusted β = -.278, p = .006) and the interaction term RI-by-extraversion (adjusted β = .290, p < .001) were associated with earlier AOP. Stratified analyses showed that RI was only significantly associated with earlier AOP among those with low extraversion (adjusted β = -.598, p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

RI predicted earlier AOP and this association was moderated by extraversion. These findings suggest that extraversion may buffer the negative relationship between RI and AOP. Future research should replicate these findings.

Hearing Their Voices: Engaging Certified Peer Specialists in Dialogues About Racism and Recovery

Certified peer specialists (CPSs) may be uniquely situated to help address inequities within the behavioral health system. However, CPSs and other mental health care providers often do not have opportunities to discuss their experiences with racism in the workplace. The Southeast Mental Health Technology Transfer Center and Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network offered the six-part Racism and Recovery event series as a space for such discussions (N=356 participants). Participant responses on the Government Performance and Results Act survey (N=239) and supplemental Qualtrics survey (N=213) identified potential actions at the individual and organizational levels for disrupting racism. The responses indicated that the series was a feasible and well-received model for engaging diverse participants.

Spatial and temporal trends in the diagnosis of opioid-related problems in commercially-insured adolescents and young adults

Little is known about the extent to which the prevalence of opioid-related problems (ORPs) varies among U.S. adolescents and young adults across geographic regions and over time, information that can help to guide policies that aim to curb the opioid epidemic. A retrospective, cross-sectional design was used to analyze longitudinal claims data from privately insured individuals aged 12-64 years who had an outpatient or inpatient diagnosis of an ORP in the years 2005-2018. The prevalence of opioid-related problem diagnoses (per 10,000) varied considerably across census divisions, both over time and between age groups. Knowledge of the origin of and variation in diagnosed opioid-related problems in terms of age group and census division is important so that interventions and policies can be more targeted and effective.

Building Bridges Between Evidence and Policy in Mental Health Services Research: Introducing the Policy Review Article Type

Although it is widely accepted that patients do better when evidence-based health care practices are used, there is less acknowledgment of the positive outcomes associated with evidence-based policy making. To address the need for high-quality evidence to inform mental health policies, Psychiatric Services has recently launched a new article format: the Policy Review. This review type defines a specific policy-relevant issue affecting behavioral health systems, describes current knowledge and limitations, and discusses policy implications. Reviews can focus on mental health policies or examine how other health or social policies affect people with mental illness or substance use disorders. This brief overview of the need for a policy review article type describes differences between evidence-based policy making and practices and looks at research approaches focused on evidence-based policy making, as well as legislative and other efforts to support it. Broad guidelines for potential submissions are also provided.

Qualitative Study of Certified Peer Specialists' Experiences Delivering Peer Support Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of certified peer specialists (CPSs) in delivering telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Fourteen semistructured interviews with CPSs were conducted from August to November 2020. Data were analyzed by using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Helpful support from employers during the transition to telehealth included clear communication and access to training on telehealth technologies. Main barriers and facilitators were related to interpersonal relationships and logistical factors. CPSs reported that telehealth allowed them to continue to support the peers they serve but that the quality of interactions was not as good as with in-person services. Logistical challenges included inadequate equipment and Internet access.

CONCLUSIONS

To support CPSs in delivering telehealth, employers can engage them in open and transparent communication about guidelines for service delivery, provide training and equipment, and allow them the flexibility to tailor service delivery modalities to the peers they serve.

The Association Between Neighborhood Poverty and Hippocampal Volume Among Individuals at Clinical High-Risk for Psychosis: The Moderating Role of Social Engagement

Reductions in hippocampal volume (HV) have been associated with both prolonged exposure to stress and psychotic illness. This study sought to determine whether higher levels of neighborhood poverty would be associated with reduced HV among individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR-P), and whether social engagement would moderate this association. This cross-sectional study included a sample of participants (N  =  174, age-range = 12-33 years, 35.1% female) recruited for the second phase of the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study. Generalized linear mixed models tested the association between neighborhood poverty and bilateral HV, as well as the moderating role of social engagement on this association. Higher levels of neighborhood poverty were associated with reduced left (β  =  -0.180, P  =  .016) and right HV (β  =  -0.185, P  =  .016). Social engagement significantly moderated the relation between neighborhood poverty and bilateral HV. In participants with lower levels of social engagement (n  =  77), neighborhood poverty was associated with reduced left (β  =  -0.266, P  =  .006) and right HV (β = -0.316, P  = .002). Among participants with higher levels of social engagement (n = 97), neighborhood poverty was not significantly associated with left (β  =  -0.010, P  =  .932) or right HV (β  =  0.087, P  =  .473). In this study, social engagement moderated the inverse relation between neighborhood poverty and HV. These findings demonstrate the importance of including broader environmental influences and indices of social engagement when conceptualizing adversity and potential interventions for individuals at CHR-P.

Trends in Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment Utilization and Setting From 2008 to 2017

OBJECTIVE

Little is known about recent trends in treatment for alcohol use disorder. The authors used national data to examine treatment trends among individuals with alcohol use disorder.

METHODS

A sample of nonelderly adults (ages 18-64 years, N=36,707) with alcohol use disorder was identified from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine trends in treatment for alcohol use disorder in 2008-2010, 2011-2013, and 2014-2017 in any medical setting (hospitals, rehabilitation centers, mental health centers, emergency departments, and private doctors' offices), self-help groups only (no medical setting), and no setting (i.e., no treatment). Additional analyses investigated trends in mental health treatment. Regression models adjusted for predisposing, enabling, and need-related characteristics.

RESULTS

Among those with an alcohol use disorder, the percentage who received any treatment was significantly lower in 2011-2013 (5.6%) than in 2008-2010 (6.9%) (p<0.05). In adjusted analyses, the probability of receiving no treatment increased by 1.5 percentage points in 2014-2017 (95% CI=0.5-2.5) compared with the 2008-2010 baseline. Significant declines were observed in the receipt of any treatment in a medical setting (marginal effect [ME]=-1.0%, 95% CI=-2.0 to -0.0) and self-help treatment only (ME=-0.5%, 95% CI=-0.8 to -0.1) in 2014-2017 compared with the baseline period. The probability of receiving any mental health treatment did not change during the study period.

CONCLUSIONS

Among persons with an alcohol use disorder, treatment declined from 2008 to 2017. Future studies should examine the mechanisms that may be responsible for this decline.

The associations between area-level residential instability and gray matter volumes from the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study (NAPLS) consortium

INTRODUCTION

Area-level residential instability (ARI), an index of social fragmentation, has been shown to explain the association between urbanicity and psychosis. Urban upbringing has been shown to be associated with reduced gray matter volumes (GMV)s of brain regions corresponding to the right caudal middle frontal gyrus (CMFG) and rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC). We hypothesize that greater ARI will be associated with reduced right CMFG and rACC GMVs.

METHODS

Data were collected at baseline as part of the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study Phase 2. Counties where participants resided during childhood were geographically coded using the US Census to area-level factors. ARI was defined as the percentage of residents living in a different house 5 years ago. Generalized linear mixed models tested associations between ARI and GMVs.

RESULTS

This study included 29 healthy controls (HC)s and 64 clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P) individuals who were aged 12 to 24 years, had remained in their baseline residential area, and had magnetic resonance imaging scans. ARI was associated with reduced right CMFG (adjusted β = -0.258; 95% CI = -0.502 to -0.015) and right rACC volumes (adjusted β = -0.318; 95% CI = -0.612 to -0.023). The interaction term (ARI-by-diagnostic group) in the prediction of both brain regions was not significant, indicating that the relationships between ARI and regional brain volumes held for both CHR-P and HCs.

CONCLUSIONS

ARI may adversely impact similar brain regions as urban upbringing. Further investigation into the potential mechanisms of the relationship between ARI and neurobiology, including social stress, is needed.

Social Fragmentation and Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review

Objective: Accumulating evidence implicates social context in the etiology of psychosis. One important line of epidemiologic research pointing to a potentially causal role of social context pertains to what is termed social fragmentation. The authors conducted a systematic review of the relationship between area-level social fragmentation and psychosis. Data Sources: Three databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) were searched from inception to May 2, 2021. There were no language restrictions. Search terms were those that identify the area-level orientation, social fragmentation, sample, and outcome. Study Selection: Inclusion criteria were the following: (1) social environment measured at the area level with (2) psychosis outcomes (incidence rates, prevalence of psychosis or schizophrenia, age at onset of psychosis, psychotic symptom severity, and duration of untreated psychosis). In total, 579 research articles were identified, and 19 were eligible to be included in this systematic review. Data Extraction: Two reviewers independently screened, extracted data from, and coded all articles. Results: Evidence from 14 of 19 articles indicates that area-level characteristics reflecting social fragmentation are associated with higher psychosis rates and other outcomes of psychosis even after controlling for other area-level characteristics including deprivation, social capital, race/ethnicity, and urbanicity and individual-level characteristics including age, sex, migrant status, and socioeconomic status. Conclusions: In conclusion, this review finds evidence that measures of area-level social fragmentation are associated with higher psychosis rates. Further research into mechanisms is needed to better characterize this association.

The Association Between History of Depression and Access to Care Among Medicare Beneficiaries During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND

Depression is associated with a higher risk for experiencing barriers to care, unmet social needs, and poorer economic and mental health outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the impact of COVID-19 on ability to access care, social and economic needs, and mental health among Medicare beneficiaries with and without depression.

DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS

Cross-sectional study using data from the 2020 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey COVID-19 Summer Supplement Public Use File.

MAIN MEASURES

Access to medical care, inability to access food, medications, household supplies, pay rent or mortgage, feelings of economic security, and mental health effects since COVID-19, risk-adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

KEY RESULTS

Participants were 11,080 Medicare beneficiaries (nationally representative of 55,960,783 beneficiaries), 27.0% with and 73.0% without a self-reported history of depression. As compared to those without a history of depression, Medicare beneficiaries with a self-reported history of depression were more likely to report inability to get care because of COVID-19 (aOR = 1.28, 95% CI, 1.09, 1.51; P = 0.003), to get household supplies such as toilet paper (aOR = 1.32, 95% CI, 1.10, 1.58; P = 0.003), and to pay rent or mortgage (aOR = 1.64, 95% CI, 1.07, 2.52; P = 0.02). Medicare beneficiaries with a self-reported history of depression were more likely to report feeling less financially secure (aOR = 1.43, 95% CI, 1.22, 1.68; P < 0.001), more stressed or anxious (aOR = 1.68, 95% CI, 1.49, 1.90; P < 0.001), more lonely or sad (aOR = 1.97, 95% CI, 1.68, 2.31; P < 0.001), and less socially connected (aOR = 1.27, 95% CI, 1.10, 1.47; P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

A self-reported history of depression was associated with greater inability to access care, more unmet social needs, and poorer economic and mental health outcomes, suggesting greater risk for adverse health outcomes during COVID-19.

Association between residential instability at individual and area levels and future psychosis in adolescents at clinical high risk from the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study (NAPLS) consortium

OBJECTIVE

Accumulating evidence supports an association between residential instability and increased risk for psychosis, but the association between residential instability and conversion to psychosis among adolescents at clinical high risk (CHR) is unclear. In this study, we determined whether individual-level and area-level residential instability and their interaction are associated with conversion to psychosis within two years.

METHODS

Data were collected as part of the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study Phase 2. Individual-level residential instability, defined as having ever moved during lifetime, was derived from the Life Events Scale. Area-level residential instability, defined as the percentage of people who were not living in the same house five years ago, was derived from the U.S. Decennial Censuses.

RESULTS

This study included 285 adolescents at CHR (including 36 subjects who later converted to full psychosis). We found that individual-level residential instability was associated with conversion (adjusted OR = 2.769; 95% CI = 1.037-7.393). The interaction between individual-level and area-level residential instability was significant (p = 0.030). In a subgroup of CHR participants who have never moved (n = 91), area-level residential instability during childhood was associated with conversion (adjusted OR = 1.231; 95% CI = 1.029-1.473). Conversely, in a subgroup of CHR participants who resided in residentially stable areas during childhood (n = 142), the association between individual-level residential instability and conversion remained significant (adjusted OR = 15.171; 95% CI = 1.753-131.305).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that individual-level and area-level residential instability may be associated with conversion to psychosis.

A Qualitative Study of Barriers and Facilitators to Transitions From the Emergency Department to Outpatient Mental Health Care

OBJECTIVE

People with psychiatric disorders are among the most frequent users of emergency departments (EDs). The transition of care from the ED to outpatient mental health treatment may be important for continuity of care; however, little is known about the barriers and facilitators that patients experience in transitions to and engagement in outpatient mental health care. In this qualitative study, the authors examined the perspectives of patients and providers on these barriers and facilitators at the patient, provider, and health care system levels.

METHODS

The authors (trained interviewers) conducted 30 semistructured interviews with patients and 15 interviews with 13 mental health providers. Data were analyzed by using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Patients and providers discussed similar barriers and facilitators to patient transitions and engagement in care. Patients with psychiatric disorders experienced barriers and facilitators at multiple levels when engaging in mental health care after discharge from the ED. Patient-level themes included openness to treatment and logistical challenges. Provider-level themes focused on the connection between patients and providers and on establishing and maintaining contact. Themes at the health care system level were coordination between the ED and outpatient clinics, managing appointments, and health care resources.

CONCLUSIONS

Key factors that influence transitions of care from the ED to outpatient treatment include patients' complex health and life circumstances, the establishment of a relationship with providers built on trust and compassion, and the level of coordination between care settings.

Improving Physical Health Among People With Serious Mental Illness: The Role of the Specialty Mental Health Sector

People with serious mental illness die 10-20 years earlier, compared with the overall population, and the excess mortality is driven by undertreated physical health conditions. In the United States, there is growing interest in models integrating physical health care delivery, management, or coordination into specialty mental health programs, sometimes called "reverse integration." In November 2019, the Johns Hopkins ALACRITY Center for Health and Longevity in Mental Illness convened a forum of 25 experts to discuss the current state of the evidence on integrated care models based in the specialty mental health system and to identify priorities for future research, policy, and practice. This article summarizes the group's conclusions. Key research priorities include identifying the active ingredients in multicomponent integrated care models and developing and validating integration performance metrics. Key policy and practice recommendations include developing new financing mechanisms and implementing strategies to build workforce and data capacity. Forum participants also highlighted an overarching need to address socioeconomic risks contributing to excess mortality among adults with serious mental illness.

Supporting the Mental Health Workforce During and After COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed structural changes in the public mental health sector, including a shift to telehealth and telesupervision, financial strain for community mental health organizations and clinicians, and risk of burnout among clinicians and staff. This Open Forum considers how technical assistance organizations have supported community mental health providers in adapting to these changes. Moving forward, knowledge gained through this work can help to build the body of practice-based evidence to inform future technical assistance activities in a postpandemic world.

Self-Help Groups And Medication Use In Opioid Addiction Treatment: A National Analysis

Self-help groups and medications (buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone) both play important roles in opioid addiction treatment. The relative use of these two treatment modalities has not been characterized in a national study. Using national treatment data, we found that self-help groups were rarely provided in conjunction with medication treatment: Among all adult discharges from opioid addiction treatment in the period 2015-17, 10.4 percent used both self-help groups and medications, 29.2 percent used only medications, 29.8 percent used only self-help groups, and 30.5 percent used neither self-help groups nor medications. Use of self-help groups without medication is most common in residential facilities, among those with criminal justice referrals, and among uninsured or privately insured patients, as well as in the South and West regions of the US. These subgroups may be important targets for future efforts to identify and overcome barriers to medication treatment and create multimodal paths to recovery.

Redesigning Public Mental Health Systems Post-COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted public mental health systems across the country, nowhere more than in New York State (NYS). The authors describe the NYS public health agency's response to the pandemic and offer ideas for redesigning public mental health systems post-COVID-19.

Associations between mental health shortage areas and county-level suicide rates among adults aged 25 and older in the USA, 2010 to 2018

OBJECTIVE

Suicide is a serious public health concern, but little is known about the relationship between access to mental health care and suicide deaths, and whether suicide rates differ by mental health provider Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). This study investigated the associations between mental health HPSAs and suicide rates.

METHOD

We used generalized linear mixed models to test the associations between HPSAs and suicide rates from 2010 to 2018. For each county during a 3-year period, the total number of suicides was obtained from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER).

RESULTS

Mental health HPSAs had higher suicide rates (adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR), 1.06 [95% CI, 1.03-1.09]). The interaction terms of mental health HPSAs and time (adjusted IRR, 1.01 [95% CI, 1.00-1.01]) showed that the association between mental health shortage areas and suicide rates has increased over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Suicide rates are more common in mental health provider shortage areas, and this association has been growing over time. The study's findings suggest that many communities in the US are likely facing simultaneous challenges of limited access to mental health care, social and economic disadvantage, and high burden of suicide.

Trends in personal and family member opioid prescriptions prior to a diagnosis of an opioid-related problem among adolescents and young adults

Background: Efforts to reduce the risk of opioid misuse are often focused on reducing unnecessary prescriptions for opioid medications or reducing the dose prescribed; however, not all misuse occurs in individuals with a personal prescription. This study examined trends in the proportion of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) who had an opioid-related problem (ORP) and who also had a personal opioid prescription drug claim or had a family member with an opioid prescription drug claim prior to the ORP diagnosis. Methods: A retrospective cohort design was used to analyze longitudinal claims data. We identified individuals aged 12 to 25 years who had a newly diagnosed ORP in the years 2006 to 2014. Trends over time in personal or family opioid prescription drug claims within 1 year prior to ORP diagnosis were examined. Results: We identified 53,560 AYAs with an ORP diagnosis. Over the entire study period, 40% of AYAs with an ORP diagnosis had a personal opioid prescription in the year prior to diagnosis, and 48% had a family member with an opioid prescription in the prior year. While the proportion of AYAs with a family prescription remained constant, the proportion with a personal prescription fell from 77.1% in 2006 to 27.3% in 2014. Conclusions: The number of AYAs with an ORP increased over time, yet the proportion with a personal opioid prescription claim prior to their diagnosis decreased over time. This suggests that providers are paying greater attention to prescribing opioids to AYAs directly, although prescriptions to family members may still remain a point of access.

Developing Regional Mental Health Priorities: Mixed-Methods Needs Assessment of Eight States in the Southeastern United States

State mental health agencies (SMHAs), which provide a variety of services to meet their residents' mental health needs, typically work within their own state, with little opportunity for cross-state collaboration and information exchange. This column describes a mixed-methods needs assessment conducted by the Southeast Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) to identify regional mental health priorities in eight states of the southeastern United States. The six priority areas identified were mental health workforce, school-based mental health, suicide prevention, peer workforce, criminal justice and mental health, and supported housing. These regional priorities inform the Southeast MHTTC's activities and can be used to promote collaborative exchange and problem solving among SMHAs.

Mental Health Policy in the Era of COVID-19

The response to the global COVID-19 pandemic has important ramifications for mental health systems and the patients they serve. This article describes significant changes in mental health policy prompted by the COVID-19 crisis across five major areas: legislation, regulation, financing, accountability, and workforce development. Special considerations for mental health policy are discussed, including social determinants of health, innovative technologies, and research and evaluation. These extraordinary advances provide an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate the effects of mental health policies that may be adopted in the post-COVID-19 era in the United States.

Neighborhood Predictors of Outpatient Mental Health Visits Among Persons With Comorbid Medical and Serious Mental Illnesses

OBJECTIVE

Individuals with serious mental illnesses are at risk of receiving inadequate outpatient mental health services, increasing the likelihood of medication nonadherence, readmission, and self-harm. The purpose of this study was to identify individual- and neighborhood-level factors associated with outpatient mental health visits.

METHODS

This study included 418 participants from two randomized trials of patients with comorbid medical conditions and serious mental illnesses across two study sites between 2011 and 2017. On the basis of individual addresses, data were collected about participants' distance to the nearest mental health facility and 13 neighborhood characteristics from the American Community Survey. Three neighborhood-level factors were derived from factor analysis. Poisson regression was used to assess associations between individual- and neighborhood-level characteristics and the number of visits to mental health providers. Known individual-level risk factors for outpatient follow-up were mutually adjusted in a model with neighborhood covariates added.

RESULTS

Male gender, older age, unemployment, and lower education level were associated with less outpatient mental health service utilization. Neighborhood-level residential mobility, defined as the combination of percentage of residents living in a different house in the past year and percentage of non-owner-occupied housing, was significantly associated with fewer mental health service visits even after controlling for other neighborhood- and individual-level factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Among individuals with comorbid medical conditions and serious mental illnesses, living in neighborhoods with higher residential mobility was associated with fewer visits to outpatient mental health providers. This finding suggests the importance of recognizing social conditions that may shape clinical interactions.

Randomized Trial of a Mobile Personal Health Record for Behavioral Health Homes

OBJECTIVE

Behavioral health homes, which provide onsite primary medical care in mental health clinics, face challenges in integrating information across multiple health records. This study tested whether a mobile personal health record application improved quality of medical care for individuals treated in these settings.

METHODS

This randomized study enrolled 311 participants with a serious mental illness and one or more cardiometabolic risk factors across two behavioral health homes to receive a mobile personal health record application (N=156) or usual care (N=155). A secure mobile personal health record (mPHR) app provided participants in the intervention group with key information about diagnoses, medications, and laboratory test values and allowed them to track health goals. The primary study outcome was a chart-derived composite measure of quality of cardiometabolic and preventive services.

RESULTS

At 12-month follow-up, participants in the mPHR group maintained high quality of care (70% of indicated services at baseline and at 12-month follow-up), in contrast to a decline in quality for the usual-care group (71% at baseline and 67% at follow-up), resulting in a statistically significant but clinically modest differential impact between the groups. No differences between the study groups were found in secondary self-reported outcomes, including delivery of chronic illness care, patient activation, and quality of life related to mental or general medical health.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of a mPHR app was associated with a statistically significant but clinically modest differential benefit for quality of medical care among individuals with serious mental illness and comorbid cardiometabolic conditions.

Mental Health Service Use by Medicaid-Enrolled Children and Adolescents in Primary Care Safety-Net Clinics

OBJECTIVE

Little is known about the role of primary care safety-net clinics, including federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics, in providing mental health services to youths. This study examined correlates and quality of mental health care for youths treated in these settings.

METHODS

Medicaid claims data (2008-2010) from nine states were used to identify youths initiating medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (N=6,433) and youths with an incident depression diagnosis (N=13,209). The authors identified youths who received no ADHD or depression-related visits in a primary care safety-net clinic, some (but less than most) visits in these clinics, and most visits in these clinics. Using bivariate and regression analyses, they examined correlates of mental health treatment in these settings and whether mental health visits in these settings were associated with quality measures.

RESULTS

Only 13.5% of the ADHD cohort and 7.2% of the depression cohort sought any ADHD- or depression-related visits in primary care safety-net clinics. Residence in a county with a higher (versus lower) percentage of residents living in an urban area was negatively associated with receiving the majority of mental health visits in these settings (p<0.05). Compared with youths with no visits in these settings, youths who received most of their mental health treatment in these settings received lower-quality care on five of six measures (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

As investment in the expansion of mental health services in primary care safety-net clinics grows, future research should assess whether these resources translate into improved mental health care access and quality for Medicaid-enrolled youths.

The Effect of Medical Marijuana Laws on Marijuana-Related Attitude and Perception Among US Adolescents and Young Adults

Marijuana liberalization policies are gaining momentum in the USA, coupled with limited federal interference and growing dispensary industry. This evolving regulatory landscape underscores the importance of understanding the attitudinal/perceptual pathways from marijuana policy to marijuana use behavior, especially for adolescents and young adults. Our study uses the restricted-access National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) 2004-2012 data and a difference-in-differences design to compare the pre-policy, post-policy changes in marijuana-related attitude/perception between adolescents and young adults from ten states that implemented medical marijuana laws during the study period and those from the remaining states. We examined four attitudinal/perception pathways that may play a role in adolescent and young adult marijuana use behavior, including (1) perceived availability of marijuana, (2) perceived acceptance of marijuana use, (3) perceived wrongfulness of recreational marijuana use, and (4) perceived harmfulness of marijuana use. We found that state implementation of medical marijuana laws between 2004 and 2012 was associated with a 4.72% point increase (95% CI 0.15, 9.28) in the probability that young adults perceived no/low health risk related to marijuana use. Medical marijuana law implementation is also associated with a 0.37% point decrease (95% CI - 0.72, - 0.03) in the probability that adolescents perceived parental acceptance of marijuana use. As more states permit medical marijuana use, marijuana-related attitude/perception need to be closely monitored, especially perceived harmfulness. The physical and psychological effects of marijuana use should be carefully investigated and clearly conveyed to the public.

Medicaid Acceptance by Psychiatrists Before and After Medicaid Expansion

This study uses National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data to assess the percentage of psychiatrists who have accepted Medicaid-insured patients before and after Medicaid expansion.

Trends in Treatment and Spending for Patients Receiving Outpatient Treatment of Depression in the United States, 1998-2015

CONTEXT

After marked increases from 1987 to 1997, trends in depression treatment in the United States increased modestly from 1998 to 2007. However, multiple policy changes that expanded insurance coverage for mental health conditions may have shifted these trends again since 2007.

OBJECTIVE

To examine national trends in outpatient treatment of depression from 1998 to 2015, with particular focus on 2007 to 2015.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This analysis of the use of health services and spending for treatment of depression in the United States assessed data from the 1998 (n = 22 953), 2007 (n = 29 370), and 2015 (n = 33 893) Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys (MEPSs). Participants included respondent households to the nationally representative survey. Data were analyzed from June 15 through December 18, 2018.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Rates of outpatient and pharmaceutical treatment of depression; counts of outpatient visits, psychotherapy visits, and prescriptions; and expenditures.

RESULTS

The analysis included 86 216 individuals from the 1998, 2007, and 2015 MEPSs. Respondents' mean (SD) age was 37.2 (22.7) years; 45 086 (52.3%) were female, 24 312 (28.2%) were Hispanic, 15 463 (17.9%) were black, and 62 926 (72.9%) were white. Rates of outpatient treatment of depression increased from 2.36 (95% CI, 2.12-2.61) per 100 population in 1998 to 3.47 (95% CI, 3.16-3.79) per 100 population in 2015. The proportion of respondents who were treated for depression using psychotherapy decreased from 53.7% (95% CI, 48.3%-59.1%) in 1998 to 43.2% (95% CI, 39.0%-47.4%) in 2007 and then increased to 50.4% (95% CI, 46.0%-54.9%) in 2015, whereas the proportion receiving pharmacotherapy remained steady at 81.9% (95% CI, 77.9%-85.9%) in 1998, 82.4% (95% CI, 79.3%-85.4%) in 2007, and 80.8% (95% CI, 77.9%-83.7%) in 2015. After adjusting for inflation using 2015 US dollars, prescription expenditures for these individuals decreased from $848 (95% CI, $713-$984) per year in 1998 to $603 (95% CI, $484-$722) per year in 2015, whereas the mean number of prescriptions decreased from 7.64 (95% CI, 6.61-8.67) in 1998 to 7.03 (95% CI, 6.51-7.56) in 2015. National expenditures for outpatient treatment of depression increased from $12 430 000 000 in 1997 to $15 554 000 000 in 2007 and then to $17 404 000 000 in 2015, consistent with a slowing growth in national outpatient expenditures for depression. The percentage of this spending that came from self-pay (uninsured) individuals decreased from 32% in 1998 to 29% in 2007 and then to 20% in 2015. This decrease was largely associated with increasing Medicaid coverage, because the percentage of this spending covered was 19% in 1998, 15% in 2007, and 36% in 2015.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Recent policy changes that increased insurance coverage for depression may be associated with reduced uninsured burden and with modest increases in the prevalence of and overall spending for outpatient treatment of depression. The lower-than-expected rate of treatment suggests that substantial barriers remain to individuals receiving treatment for their depression.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Minimally Adequate Depression Care Among Medicaid-Enrolled Youth

OBJECTIVE

To examine racial and ethnic disparities in the receipt of minimally adequate depression treatment in Medicaid-enrolled youth.

METHOD

Medicaid claims data of 2008 through 2011 were used to derive a cohort of youth (5-17 years old) who were diagnosed with a new episode of major depression (N = 45,816) across 9 states. Dichotomous outcomes measured the receipt of minimally adequate psychotherapy (≥4 psychotherapy visits within 12 weeks of initiation); minimally adequate medication (filled antidepressants for 84 of 144 days); any minimally adequate treatment (psychotherapy or medication); and no psychotherapy or medication. Racial/ethnic disparities in the outcome measures were estimated using logistic regression models that controlled for predisposing, enabling, and need-related factors.

RESULTS

Less than four-tenths (38.3%) of the cohort received minimally adequate psychotherapy, 19.2% received minimally adequate pharmacotherapy, and 49.9% received any minimally adequate treatment; conversely, 16.4% received no treatment. Adjusted percentages of black (42.3%; p < .001) and Hispanic (48.2%; p < .001) youth who received minimally adequate treatment were significantly smaller than for non-Hispanic whites (54.7%) because of lower likelihoods of receiving minimally adequate psychotherapy and/or minimally adequate pharmacotherapy. In addition, adjusted percentages of black (20.2%; p < .001) and Hispanic (15.0%; p < .01) youth who received no treatment were significantly larger than for non-Hispanic white youth (12.9%).

CONCLUSION

The percentage of Medicaid-enrolled youth who receive minimally adequate treatment for depression is small overall and even smaller for racial/ethnic minorities than for whites. Future research is needed to identify strategies that improve the overall quality of depression treatment in Medicaid-enrolled youth and decrease disparities in care.

Integrating Health and Mental Health Services: A Past and Future History

The authors trace the modern history, current landscape, and future prospects for integration between mental health and general medical care in the United States. Research and new treatment models developed in the 1980s and early 1990s helped inform federal legislation, including the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which in turn are creating new opportunities to further integrate services. Future efforts should build on this foundation to develop clinical, service-level, and public health approaches that more fully integrate mental, medical, substance use, and social services. [AJP AT 175: Remembering Our Past As We Envision Our Future July 1928: A President Takes Stock Adolf Meyer: "I sometimes feel that Einstein, concerned with the relativity in astronomy, has to deal with very simple facts as compared to the complex and erratic and multicontingent performances of the human microcosmos, the health, happiness and efficiency of which we psychiatrists are concerned with." (Am J Psychiatry 1928; 85(1):1-31 )].

Applying a Model of Stakeholder Engagement to a Pragmatic Trial for People With Mental Disorders

Stakeholder engagement is an important component of pragmatic trials seeking to improve mental health care in real-world settings. Models of stakeholder engagement outline the benefits of involving a diverse array of partners in all phases of research. This column describes a stakeholder engagement plan for a comparative-effectiveness pragmatic trial of a care navigator program to increase linkage between emergency departments and outpatient treatment at community mental health centers. Benefits of stakeholder engagement include meaningful input on program design and implementation, insights into balancing the need for flexibility among clinical sites while implementing the program with fidelity, and early discussions about program sustainability and dissemination.

Mental and Addictive Disorders and Medical Comorbidities

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Mental and addictive disorders commonly co-occur with medical comorbidities, resulting in poor health and functioning, and premature mortality. This review provides an overview of the intertwined causal pathways and shared risk factors that lead to comorbidity. Additionally, this review examines the strategies to prevent the onset of and to effectively manage chronic medical conditions among people with mental and addictive disorders.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent research provides further evidence for the shared genetic and biological, behavioral, and environmental risk factors for comorbidity. Additionally, there is evidence of effective approaches for screening, self-management, and treatment of medical conditions among people with mental disorders. There are promising health system models of integrated care, but additional research is needed to fully establish their effectiveness. A combination of public health and clinical approaches are needed to better understand and address comorbidity between mental and addictive disorders and chronic medical conditions.

Peer-Led Self-Management of General Medical Conditions for Patients With Serious Mental Illnesses: A Randomized Trial

OBJECTIVE

Individuals with serious mental illnesses have high rates of general medical comorbidity and challenges in managing these conditions. A growing workforce of certified peer specialists is available to help these individuals more effectively manage their health and health care. However, few studies have examined the effectiveness of peer-led programs for self-management of general medical conditions for this population.

METHODS

This randomized study enrolled 400 participants with a serious mental illness and one or more chronic general medical conditions across three community mental health clinics. Participants were randomly assigned to the Health and Recovery Peer (HARP) program, a self-management program for general medical conditions led by certified peer specialists (N=198), or to usual care (N=202). Assessments were conducted at baseline and three and six months.

RESULTS

At six months, participants in the intervention group demonstrated a significant differential improvement in the primary study outcome, health-related quality of life. Specifically, compared with the usual care group, intervention participants had greater improvement in the Short-Form Health Survey physical component summary (an increase of 2.7 versus 1.4 points, p=.046) and mental component summary (4.6 versus 2.5 points, p=.039). Significantly greater six-month improvements in mental health recovery were seen for the intervention group (p=.02), but no other between-group differences in secondary outcome measures were significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The HARP program was associated with improved physical health- and mental health-related quality of life among individuals with serious mental illness and comorbid general medical conditions, suggesting the potential benefits of more widespread dissemination of peer-led disease self-management in this population.

Introducing the Adults with Chronic Healthcare Needs (ACHCN) definition and screening instrument: Rationale, supporting evidence and testing

BACKGROUND

Among working age adults in the United States, there is a large, heterogeneous population that requires ongoing and elevated levels of healthcare and related services. At present, there are conflicting approaches to the definition and measurement of this population in health services research.

OBJECTIVE

An expert panel was convened by the National Institutes of Health with the objective of developing a population-level definition of Adults with Chronic Healthcare Needs (ACHCN). In addition, the panel developed a screening instrument and methods for its use in health surveys to identify and stratify the population consistently.

METHODS

The panel employed multiple methods over the course of the project, including scoping literature reviews, quantitative analyses from national data sources and cognitive testing.

RESULTS

The panel defined the ACHCN population as "Adults (age 18-65) with [1] ongoing physical, cognitive, or mental health conditions or difficulties functioning who [2] need health or related support services of a type or amount beyond that needed by adults of the same sex and similar age." The screener collects information on chronic health conditions, functional difficulties, and elevated use of or unmet need for healthcare services.

CONCLUSIONS

Adapted from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau definition that identifies Children with Special Healthcare Needs, aligned with the ACS-6 disability measure, and consistent with the HHS Multiple Chronic Condition Framework, this definition and screener provide the research community with a common denominator for the identification of ACHCN.

At the intersection of chronic disease, disability and health services research: A scoping literature review

BACKGROUND

There is a concerted effort underway to evaluate and reform our nation's approach to the health of people with ongoing or elevated needs for care, particularly persons with chronic conditions and/or disabilities.

OBJECTIVE

This literature review characterizes the current state of knowledge on the measurement of chronic disease and disability in population-based health services research on working age adults (age 18-64).

METHODS

Scoping review methods were used to scan the health services research literature published since the year 2000, including medline, psycINFO and manual searches. The guiding question was: "How are chronic conditions and disability defined and measured in studies of healthcare access, quality, utilization or cost?"

RESULTS

Fifty-five studies met the stated inclusion criteria. Chronic conditions were variously defined by brief lists of conditions, broader criteria-based lists, two or more (multiple) chronic conditions, or other constructs. Disability was generally assessed through ADLs/IADLs, functional limitations, activity limitations or program eligibility. A smaller subset of studies used information from both domains to identify a study population or to stratify it by subgroup.

CONCLUSIONS

There remains a divide in this literature between studies that rely upon diagnostically-oriented measures and studies that instead rely on functional, activity or other constructs of disability to identify the population of interest. This leads to wide ranging differences in population prevalence and outcome estimates. However, there is also a growing effort to develop methods that account for the overlap between chronic disease and disability and to "segment" this heterogeneous population into policy or practice relevant subgroups.

Racial-Ethnic Differences in Patterns of Discontinuous Medication Treatment Among Medicaid-Insured Youths With ADHD

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the association between race-ethnicity and patterns of medication gaps and discontinuities among Medicaid-insured children initiating pharmacotherapy for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

METHODS

Medicaid claims data from nine states were used to identify racial-ethnic differences in patterns of ADHD medication treatment among 102,669 children initiating ADHD medication. Multinomial logistic regression with state indicators was used to estimate these differences, with adjustment for individual and contextual confounders.

RESULTS

Approximately three-fifths of the sample did not receive continuous medication treatment as defined by HEDIS guidelines; among them, one-fifth discontinued treatment with no subsequent reinitiation (early termination), less than one-tenth reinitiated pharmacotherapy following a single medication gap, more than three-tenths experienced discontinuous pharmacotherapy with two gaps, and more than four-tenths experienced discontinuous pharmacotherapy with three or more gaps. Compared with white children, black children had a 25% relative increase in the likelihood of early termination and Hispanic children had a 21% relative increase (p<.001); their relative increases in the likelihood of two medication gaps were 41% and 29%, respectively (p<.001), and for three or more gaps they were 56% and 40%, respectively (p<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Black and Hispanic children were much more likely than white children to be classified as discontinuing ADHD medication treatment, according to HEDIS. The differences predominantly occurred because youths from minority groups were more likely to experience multiple medication gaps, rather than complete discontinuation. Future studies should examine reasons for these multiple gaps to inform interventions to improve ADHD treatment continuity.

Psychiatry's Role in Improving the Physical Health of Patients With Serious Mental Illness: A Report From the American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association Integrated Care Workgroup recently convened an expert panel charged with addressing the role of psychiatry in improving the physical health of persons with serious mental illness. The group reviewed the peer-reviewed and gray literature and developed a set of recommendations grounded in this review. This column summarizes the panel's primary findings and recommendations to key stakeholders, including clinicians, health care organizations, researchers, and policy makers.