Improving Alcohol and Drug Services for Older Adults

描述（由申请人提供）：此应用程序将支持博士的职业发展德里克·索迪斯在酒精健康服务研究领域的老年人。该提案是为了回应PA-00-004，指导病人为导向的研究职业发展奖;和PA 01-142，酒精相关问题的卫生服务研究。加州大学旧金山分校弗朗西斯科的康斯坦斯·韦斯纳博士将担任导师。在这个为期五年的计划中，候选人将获得设计和开展临床试验，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。与一个成熟的团队合作，候选人将扩大合作研究网络和学术技能。拟议研究的具体目的是：1）为老年人开发可接受和适当的群体治疗，以满足恢复支持需求，2）在试点研究中测试这种干预措施，作为未来R 01 - 1水平疗效研究的基础。为实现这一目标而提出的项目包括与老年化学品依赖患者和提供者在一个普通的混合年龄门诊化学品依赖计划中进行访谈，以告知干预措施的改进;为酒精和药物治疗中的老年人调整一种由医生支持的群体模型行为干预（人际心理治疗）;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10次每周一次的团体治疗，对照参与者将接受教育组。据推测，干预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。该研究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，并将为独立作为酒精服务研究科学家的候选人做好准备。

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.