Psychoeducation for HCV and Alcohol Behaviors

丙型肝炎（HCV）的药物治疗需要坚定的坚持才能有效，但身体和 当前药物（干扰素和利巴韦林）引起的精神副作用削弱了患者的积极性 和一致性。阻碍这一群体获得交通和保险等重要服务的障碍 以及缺乏稳定的住房，对HCV的最佳管理构成进一步的威胁。促进遵守和 如果家庭成员和重要的其他人能够加入HCV， 供应商在这方面的努力。心理教育计划，该团队证明对患者有效， 家庭应对严重的精神疾病，可以有直接的相关性和应用到HCV。 拟议的项目将采用独特、有效的家庭响应心理教育计划 （PERF）的HCV，这是以前没有尝试在这个群体。将比较HCV-PERF 在一项有400名HCV患者的随机对照试验中，目标是 表明干预措施将扩大一些患者接受HCV治疗的资格， 通过它来支持他人。该计划将提供HCV教育和讨论日常问题的论坛 生活和应对疾病的支持，积极主动，并以问题为中心的议程。的主题和 心理教育小组所涉及的问题将从小组成员所表达的兴趣中产生， 产生针对参与者的讨论，强调和加强个性化的解决方案， 患有慢性病的生活问题及其难以治疗的方案。这次干预将建立在 HCV和精神卫生专业人员的技能，两名专业人员，一名具有HCV治疗专业知识 另一个是有心理健康背景的人，领导心理教育小组。研究参与者 将通过几项心理/精神测量进行评估，包括应对、功能、社会 支持和生活质量，因为他们考虑或接受标准的HCV医疗护理。（本研究 项目不会干扰常规的HCV治疗方案。问题解决导向 心理教育计划不是精神病护理的替代品，精神病转诊将是 在适当的时候提供便利）。干预措施的有效性将通过多种结果来衡量 测量，包括医学标志物，如病毒载量。这种创新的干预是廉价的， 不需要特殊的设备或困难的程序，并可以出口到不同的HCV治疗 设置和实施没有广泛的培训。HCV-PERF具有重大积极影响的潜力 在HCV人群中，以挽救生命，降低成本，并改善医疗结果。

Medical treatment of hepatitis C (HCV) requires steadfast adherence to be effective, yet physical and psychiatric side effects induced by current medications (interferon and ribavirin) undermine patient motivation and consistency. Barriers to this population's access to vital services, including transportation and insurance and lack of stable housing, pose further threats to optimal management of HCV. Promotion of adherence and patient support may be enhanced if family members and significant others can be enlisted to join HCV providers in this effort. Psychoeducation programs, demonstrated by this team to be effective for patients and families coping with serious mental illness, can have direct relevance and application to HCV. The proposed project will apply a unique, effective family-responsive psychoeducation program (PERF) for HCV, which has not been previously attempted in this population. HCV-PERF will be compared with a didactic education intervention in a randomized controlled trial with 400 HCV patients. The goal is to demonstrate that the intervention will enlarge the eligibility of some patients for HCV treatment and help sustain others through it. The program will provide HCV education and a forum to discuss problems in daily living and coping with the illness in a supportive, proactive, and problem-focused agenda. The topics and issues covered in the psychoeducation groups will emerge from expressed interests of the group members, generating participant-specific discussions emphasizing and reinforcing personalized solutions to the problems of living with a chronic illness and its difficult treatment regimen. This intervention will build on the skills of HCV and mental health professionals with two professionals, one with HCV treatment expertise and the other a with a mental health background, leading the psychoeducation groups. Study participants will be evaluated with several psychospcial/psychiatric measures including coping, functioning, social support, and quality of life as they contemplate or receive standard medical care for HCV. (Thisresearch project will not interfere with usual HCV treatment regimens. The problem-solving oriented psychoeducation program is not a replacement for psychiatric care, and psychiatric referrals will be facilitated when appropriate.) Effectiveness of the intervention will be measured through multiple outcome measures, including medical markers such as viral load. This innovative intervention is inexpensive, requires no special equipment or difficult procedures, and can be exported to diverse HCV treatment settings and implemented without extensive training. HCV-PERFhas the potential for major positiveimpact on the HCV population to save lives, reduce costs, and improve medical outcomes.