Active clinical trials for "Problem Behavior"

Monitoring of Biologic Signals of Elderly Patients

Investigators are carrying out a study to assess the immediate and long-term effects of a positive youth development program (the Teen Outreach Program) on high school youth in Florida. This study will answer the following questions: What is the impact of the Teen Outreach Program on sexual activity and positive youth development at the end of the program and 10 months after the program?

This is a randomized clinical trial of the impact of incorporating a peer mentor into a primary care based group parenting program on increasing program participation by parents and improving program outcomes.

Aggressive/challenging behaviors in individuals with intellectual disability are a major public health concern for them, their families, their service programs and staff, and their communities. This randomized clinical trial will test the efficacy and cost effectiveness of a preventive community-based social problem solving intervention, the Steps to Effective Problem-solving (STEPS), delivered in group homes. The program uses residential staff participation and the group environment to facilitate improved social problem solving skills and reduce aggressive/challenging behaviors in this population in group homes and work settings.

Every year, millions of Americans are admitted to the intensive care unit. Due to advances in critical care, mortality rates are decreasing, increasing the number of ICU survivors. Survivors of critical illness, however, often face physical, functional, and cognitive deficits that place them at risk for a cycle of re-hospitalization that frequently culminates in premature death. Moreover, post-ICU interventions may be resource-intensive and may be most cost-effective only in a subgroup of patients at highest risk. Whether a multi-disciplinary program to facilitate recovery from critical illness can prevent hospital readmission and improve quality of life among high-risk ICU survivors remains unknown. The primary aim of this pilot is to examine the feasibility of implementing a multidisciplinary ICU Recovery Program and the influence of such a program on process measures including contact with the ICU recovery team and attendance of ICU recovery clinic. The secondary aims are to compare the effect of an ICU Recovery Program on 30-day same-hospital readmission and other clinical outcomes.

While the scientific understanding of pharmacogenomics is quickly accelerating, its translation to clinical decision-making (especially in psychiatric practice) has progressed more slowly. In an effort to begin to bridge this translational gap, genetic testing has been developed for various and commonly existing psychiatric disorders, such as major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and pain syndromes to improve the safety of prescribing psychotropic medications for these disorders. This genetic testing incudes several pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetic genetic factors, such as the cytochrome P450 1A2 gene (CYP1A2); the cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) gene; P450 2D6 gene (CYP2D6); the cytochrome P450 2C9 gene (CYP2C9); the cytochrome P450 2C19 gene (CYP2C19); uridine-glucoronyl-transferase 2B15 (UGT2B15) gene; the serotonin transporter gene (Solute Carrier Family 6 Member; SLC6A4); p-glycoprotein ( ATP-binding cassette sub-family B member 1; ABCB1) transporter gene; the serotonin 2A receptor gene (HTR2A); the serotonin 2C receptor (HTR2C) gene; serotonin 1a receptor (5HT1a) gene; dopamine 1 receptor (DRD1) gene; dopamine 2 receptor (DRD2) gene; adrenergic alpha-2A receptor (alpha-2A) gene; opioid mu (opioid receptor mu 1; OPRM1) receptor gene; dopamine synthesis gene (ankyrin repeat and kinase domain containing 1; ANKK1); dopamine metabolizing enzyme [Catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT]) gene; kainite receptor gene (glutamate ionotropic receptor kainate type subunit 4; GRIK4); folate (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase; MTHFR) gene; sodium channels (sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 2; SCN2A) gene. The interpretive report is based on copies of these multiple informative genes. The investigators are proposing to utilize comprehensive genetic testing to select more genetically-informed psychotropic medications to enhance their effectiveness in real-world patients with psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar affective disorder as well as pain in a state hospital setting. The investigators plan to use genetic testing offered by Admera® for major classes of psychotropic medications. The investigators hypothesize that genetic testing will demonstrate clinical benefits by improving state hospital patients' response and decreasing their adverse effects. The proposed study will be conducted in a total sample of 60 subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar affective disorder as well as pain at the Oregon State Hospital, Salem Oregon over a total period of 24 months

People tend to detect and recognise self-related information more quickly and efficiently than other kinds of information. For example, in a cocktail party, people are usually able to attend to just one conversation at a time. Messages from unattended conversations are rarely registered. However, most people would still hear their own name mentioned in unattended conversations. Research has shown that this self-referencing advantage manifests an individual's normal cognitive function and emotional wellbeing. It may be influenced by self worth and strength of self-esteem. Changes in self-related processing are hypothesised in various psychiatric conditions such as dissociative identity disorder and affective disorders, but the connection is poorly understood. Existing research mainly relies on self-report measures, which can be subjective and time consuming. This project will initiate a new approach that the investigators have developed to objectively measure self-related processing. The aim is to investigate how patients suffering from common psychiatric disorders respond to self-related information relative to age-matched control participants. The investigators also hope to establish whether the objective measurement of the self can form a new pathway to improve early diagnosis of mental health issues.

Varenicline increases smoking abstinence rates compared to bupropion, nicotine patch or placebo in outpatients with psychiatric disorders. The American Psychiatric Association identifies psychiatric hospitalizations as an ideal opportunity to treat tobacco dependence. However, no previous studies have tested whether varenicline may improve smoking cessation rates compared to nicotine patch in hospitalized patients with mental illness. Additionally, varenicline has shown to be safe for mental health stable outpatients, but safety in psychiatric inpatients is unknown. Multisite open trial controlled study designed to assess varenicline's effectiveness on smoking cessation compared to nicotine patch, in patients who are discharged from a psychiatric unit. Treatment will start during hospitalization and last 12 weeks followed by a non-treatment follow-up phase for 4 weeks. Safety will be assessed by comparing the incidence of adverse events. Participants will be randomized to receive varenicline or nicotine patch during 12 weeks. All participants will receive smoking cessation counseling.

Background An estimated 10-20% of children globally are affected by a mental health problem. Child mental health has been identified as a priority issue by the World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (WHO EMRO). Following consultations with international and regional experts and stakeholders, WHO EMRO developed an evidence-based School Mental Health Program (SMHP), endorsed by WHO EMRO member countries, including Pakistan. The federal and provincial health departments in Pakistan made recommendations for a phased implementation of the SMHP in a pilot district. In the formative phase of this program, a number of implementation challenges were identified by the stakeholders. Broadly, these included the need to operationalize and adapt the existing components of the intervention to the local context and to develop sustainable mechanisms for delivery of quality training and supervision. Informed by the results of a formative phase investigations, the SHINE scale-up research team adapted the SMHP (henceforth called Conventional SMHP or cSMHP) to address these implementation challenges. The enhanced version of the intervention is called Enhanced School Mental Health Program (eSMHP). Enhancements to cSMHP have occurred at two levels: A) Content enhancements, such as a collaborative care model for engaging parents/primary caregivers, strategies for teacher's wellbeing, and adaptation and operationalization of particular clinical intervention strategies and B) Technological enhancements which include adaptation of the training manual for delivery using an online training platform, and a 'Chat-bot' to aid the implementation of intervention strategies in classroom settings. Objectives The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of eSMHP in reducing socio-emotional difficulties in school-going children, aged 8-13, compared to cSMHP in Gujar Khan, a rural sub-district of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The secondary objectives are to compare the cost-effectiveness, acceptability, adoption, appropriateness (including cultural appropriateness), feasibility, penetration and sustainability of scaled-up implementation of eSMHP and cSMHP. It is hypothesized that eSMHP will prove to be both more effective and more scalable than cSMHP. Study population The research is embedded within the phased district level implementation of the cSMHP in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The study population will consist of children of both genders, aged 8-13 (n=960) with socio-emotional difficulties, studying in rural public schools of sub-district Gujar Khan in Rawalpindi. Design The proposed study design is a cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT), embedded within the conventional implementation of the SMHP. Following relevant ethics committees and regulatory approvals, 80 eligible schools, stratified by gender, will be randomized into intervention and control arms with a 1:1 allocation ratio. Following informed consent from the parent/ primary caregiver, children will be screened for socio-emotional difficulties using Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). 960 children scoring > 12 on the teacher-rated SDQ total difficulty scores and > 14 on the parent-rated SDQ total difficulty scores will be recruited and equally randomized into intervention and control arms (480 in each arm). Teachers in the intervention arm will receive training in eSMHP, whereas teachers in the active control will be trained in cSMHP. Trained teachers will deliver the program to children in their respective arms. Outcome measures Primary Outcome: The primary outcome is reduction in socio-emotional total difficulties scores, measured with the parent-rated SDQ, 9 months after commencing intervention delivery. Secondary Outcomes: Implementation data on acceptability, adoption, appropriateness (including cultural appropriateness), feasibility, penetration and sustainability outcomes will be collected from children, parents/primary caregivers, head teachers and teachers. In addition, data will be collected on self-reported Psychological Outcome Profiles (PSYCHLOPS)-KIDS to measure progress on psycho-social problems and wellbeing; annual academic performance; classroom absenteeism, stigmatizing experiences and parent-teacher interaction. Data on teachers' sense of efficacy and subjective well-being, and on the schools' psychosocial environment profile will be collected. All secondary outcome data will be collected at baseline and 9 months after commencing intervention delivery. Outcomes will be analyzed on an intention to treat basis. The role of various factors as potential mediators and moderators eSMHP effectiveness will be explored. Cost-effectiveness evaluation of SMHP shall be evaluated in terms of costs associated with implementation of eSMHP compared with cSMHP.

The goal of this project is to study the influence of child-centered communication on children's anxiety, satisfaction and the use of anesthesia for MRI