Improving Alcohol and Drug Services for Older Adults

描述(由申请人提供)：此申请将支持德里克·萨特雷博士在老年人酒精健康服务研究领域的职业发展。该提案是针对PA-00-004和PA 01-142提交的，PA-00-004是以患者为导向的指导研究职业发展奖，PA 01-142是关于酒精相关问题的卫生服务研究。加州大学旧金山分校的康斯坦斯·韦斯纳博士将担任导师。在这项为期五年的计划中，候选人将在临床试验的设计和实施、老年人群中的酒精和药物治疗服务研究以及行为干预方面获得培训和经验。与一个成熟的团队合作，候选人将拓宽合作研究网络和学术技能。拟议研究的具体目标是：1)为老年人开发可接受和适当的团体治疗，以满足康复支持需求；2)在一项先导性研究中测试这一干预措施，该研究将作为未来R01-1水平疗效研究的基础。为实现这一目标提出的项目包括采访老年化学依赖患者和普通混合年龄门诊化学依赖计划的提供者，为干预措施的改进提供信息；对酒精和药物治疗中的老年人采用经验性支持的团体模式行为干预(人际心理治疗)；以及在一项试点研究中测试干预措施。在试点中，干预参与者将接受每周10次的小组治疗，而对照组参与者将接受一个教育小组。据假设，与接受教育的参与者相比，干预参与者在六个月后会有更好的结果(饮酒、抑郁和人际功能)。这一研究职业发展计划将产生关于治疗患有酒精和药物问题的老年人的重要知识，并将为候选人作为酒精服务研究领域的独立科学家做好准备。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application will support the career development of Dr. Derek Satre in the area of alcohol health services research for older adults. The proposal is submitted in response to PA-00-004, Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award; and PA 01-142, Health Services Research on Alcohol-Related Problems. Dr. Constance Weisner of the University of California, San Francisco, will serve as the mentor. During this five-year program, the candidate will obtain training and experience in design and conduct of clinical trials, alcohol and drug treatment services research in older adult populations, and behavioral interventions. Working with an established team, the candidate will broaden collaborative research networks and academic skills. The specific aims of the proposed research are: 1) to develop an acceptable and appropriate group treatment for older adults to address recovery support needs, and 2) to test this intervention in a pilot study that will serve as the foundation for a future R01-1evel efficacy study. The projects proposed to reach this goal include interviews with older chemical dependency patients and providers in a general mixed-age outpatient chemical dependency program, to inform intervention refinement; the adaptation of an empirically-supported group-model behavioral intervention (interpersonal psychotherapy) for older adults in alcohol and drug treatment; and testing the intervention in a pilot study. In the pilot, intervention participants will receive 10 weekly sessions of group treatment, and control participants will receive an education group. It is hypothesized that intervention participants will have better outcomes at six months (alcohol consumption, depression, and interpersonal functioning) than participants who receive the education group. This research career development program will yield significant knowledge regarding treatment of older adults with alcohol and drug problems, and will prepare the candidate for independence as a scientist in alcohol services research.