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• A home-delivered non-pharmacological intervention contributed to reducing the immediate total and social loneliness of homebound older adults. • The decrease in perceived social loneliness mediated the improvement of depressive symptom levels. • Social loneliness may be a relevant target of intervention to improve depressive symptomatology. The present study aimed to explore whether the Homebound Elderly People Psychotherapeutic Intervention (HEPPI), a home-delivered ten-week cognitive-emotional intervention, was effective in reducing self-reported loneliness among homebound older adults presenting mild cognitive impairment and psychological symptomatology. Effects of HEPPI in total, social, and emotional loneliness, compared with a treatment-as-usual group, were investigated at post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. In addition, the potential role of social and emotional loneliness as mediators of the HEPPI impact on episodic memory and symptoms of depression and anxiety was examined. This study built upon the data of a previously conducted randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to the HEPPI group (n = 98) or the treatment-as-usual group (n = 101) and completed baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up assessments, including measures of loneliness (UCLA - Loneliness scale), episodic memory (Wechsler Memory Scale-III), depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale-30), and anxiety symptoms (Geriatric Anxiety Inventory). Data were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis employing linear mixed models and mediation analyses for repeated measures. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05499767. Compared with usual care controls, the HEPPI participants reported a significant immediate decrease in total and social loneliness, but these effects were not maintained at a 3-month follow-up. The reduction in immediate perceived social loneliness significantly mediated the improvement of depressive symptoms. The current findings suggest that HEPPI potentially reduced total and social loneliness of the homebound older population immediately post-intervention, and such decrease in social loneliness may be a relevant mechanism for improving their short-term depressive symptomatology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep disturbance is commonly reported among individuals meeting criteria for cannabis use disorder (CUD), and people who use cannabis frequently report sleep disturbance as a contributor to failed quit attempts. The purpose of this study was to measure sleep in individuals enrolled in treatment for CUD, and to determine whether use of hypnotic medication during treatment increased abstinence rates. The study enrolled 127 adults seeking treatment for CUD in a 12-week clinical trial and randomized to receive extended-release zolpidem (zolpidem-XR) or placebo. All participants received computerized behavioral therapy and abstinence-based contingency management. The study conducted in-home ambulatory polysomnography (PSG) assessments at baseline and during treatment to objectively measure sleep. Self-report measures of recent sleep, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and drug use (Timeline Follow-Back) were collected at each study visit, and the study confirmed self-reported abstinence via quantitative urine drug testing. Participants randomized to placebo, but not zolpidem-XR exhibited significant sleep disturbance during week 1 of treatment. Sleep disturbance emerged in the zolpidem-XR group after study medication was stopped at the end of treatment. Though participants assigned to the zolpidem-XR condition had qualitatively greater rates of abstinence compared with placebo (27 % versus 15 % negative at end of treatment), the difference was not statistically significant. Treatment retention was poor (about 50 % drop out in both groups) and medication adherence was a challenge without the use of contingent incentives. Results from this randomized controlled trial suggest that zolpidem-XR can attenuate abstinence-induced sleep disturbance early in treatment for CUD, but that sleep problems are likely to emerge after the medication is stopped. Further research should identify alternative pharmacotherapies and behavioral treatments for CUD and elucidate the role of sleep disturbance in the development and maintenance of CUD. • Sleep disturbance is commonly reported among individuals with cannabis use disorder. • This RCT evaluated extended-release zolpidem for cannabis-related sleep disturbance. • Zolpidem-XR attenuated sleep disturbance but sleep problems re-emerged at EoT. • Zolpidem-XR resulted in non-significant improvement in cannabis abstinence relative to placebo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of quitting immediately and cutting down to quit in promoting smoking abstinence among smokers in an outpatient clinic.Methods: A total of 100 subjects were randomized into two groups, 50 in the quit immediately group, who received an intervention on abruptly quitting, and 50 in the cut down to quit group, who received an intervention on gradual reduction. All subjects were followed up at 6 and 12 months via telephone. The intention-to-treat principle was used.Results: At the 6-month follow-up, the self-reported quit rate of subjects in the quit immediately group was significantly higher than in the cut down to quit group (18.0% vs. 4.0%, p = 0.04). However, this difference was not significant at the 12-month follow-up (12.0% vs. 4.0%, p = 0.16).Conclusion: These data suggest that quitting immediately might be more effective than cutting down to quit at 6 months but not at 12 months.Practice Implications: It is crucial to allow smokers to select quitting immediately or reducing the number of cigarettes smoked. Further studies are warranted to compare the effectiveness of various approaches for achieving smoking abstinence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]