Improving Alcohol and Drug Services for Older Adults

描述（由申请人提供）：此申请将支持Derek Satre博士在老年人酒精健康服务研究领域的职业发展。该提案是根据PA-00-004（指导患者导向研究职业发展奖）提交的；以及PA 01-142，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Constance Weisner博士将担任导师。在这个为期五年的项目中，候选人将获得设计和实施临床试验、老年人酒精和药物治疗服务研究以及行为干预方面的培训和经验。与已建立的团队合作，候选人将扩大合作研究网络和学术技能。本研究的具体目的是：1)为老年人制定一种可接受的、适当的群体治疗方案，以满足康复支持需求；2)在一项试点研究中测试这种干预措施，为未来的r01 -1水平疗效研究奠定基础。为实现这一目标而提出的项目包括与老年化学依赖患者和一般混合年龄门诊化学依赖项目的提供者进行访谈，以告知干预措施的改进；经验支持的群体模式行为干预（人际心理治疗）在老年人酒精和药物治疗中的适应性并在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，对照组参与者将接受一个教育小组。假设干预组的参与者在六个月时的结果（饮酒、抑郁和人际功能）比接受教育组的参与者更好。这项研究的职业发展计划将产生关于治疗老年人酒精和药物问题的重要知识，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.