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Background: Older veterans with anxiety disorders encounter multiple barriers to receiving mental health services, including transportation difficulties, physical limitations, and limited access to providers trained to work with older persons. To address both accessibility and the shortage of available providers, evidence-based treatments that can be delivered via guided self-management modalities are a potential solution., Objective: This study aims to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a randomized controlled trial of 2 guided self-management interventions. This study compared the treatment effects of these 2 interventions (relaxation and health psychoeducation) on anxiety symptom severity and functioning in older veterans with anxiety disorders. Our exploratory aims examined factors related to home practices and treatment engagement and perceptions of the practices., Methods: Participants were randomized to one of two video-delivered interventions: (1) Breathing, Relaxation, and Education for Anxiety Treatment in the Home Environment (BREATHE)-breathing and progressive relaxation or (2) Healthy Living for Reduced Anxiety-psychoeducation about lifestyle changes. Telephone coaching calls were conducted weekly. Measures of anxiety, depression, and functioning were obtained at baseline, week 4 (end of treatment), week 8, and week 12. Participants completed a semistructured interview at week 12. Analyses included descriptive statistics to summarize measures of intervention engagement; mixed-effects models to characterize symptom change, and qualitative analyses., Results: Overall, 56 participants (n=48, 86% men; n=23, 41% from ethnic or racial minority groups; mean age 71.36, SD 6.19 y) were randomized. No difference in retention between study arms was found. The Healthy Living group (29/56, 52%) completed significantly more lessons (mean 3.68, SD 0.86) than the BREATHE group (27/56, 48%; mean 2.85, SD 1.43; t 53 =2.60; P=.01) but did not differ in completion of coaching calls. In the BREATHE group, greater baseline anxiety scores (r=-0.41; P=.03) and greater severity of medical comorbidity (r=-0.50; P=.009) were associated with fewer completed practices. There was no effect of intervention on change in total anxiety scores or functioning. For specific anxiety subtypes, Healthy Living produced a greater decline in somatic anxiety compared with BREATHE. Qualitative analyses found barriers to practicing, including difficulty setting time aside to practice, forgetting, or having other activities that interfered with BREATHE practices. Some participants described adapting their practice routine to fit their daily lives; some also used relaxation skills in everyday situations., Conclusions: These findings suggest that a larger randomized controlled trial of guided self-management approaches to treating late-life anxiety is feasible; however, BREATHE was not effective in reducing anxiety compared with Healthy Living. Possible contributing factors may have been the reliance on a single technique. Progressive relaxation was reported to be enjoyable for most participants, but maintaining home practices was challenging. Those with milder anxiety severity and fewer health problems were better able to adhere to practices., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02400723; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02400723., (©Christine E Gould, Chalise Carlson, Julie L Wetherell, Mary K Goldstein, Lauren Anker, Sherry A Beaudreau. Originally published in JMIR Aging (https://aging.jmir.org), 09.12.2024.)

Objectives: This program evaluation examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of an individualized coaching program to help older Veterans use VA mental health mobile apps to address mental health and well-being goals., Methods: The program delivers individual technical and clinical support to facilitate the use of mobile devices and VA apps. Participants completed assessments of mobile device proficiency, app use frequency, app comfort, quality of life, and mental health symptoms (completed by a subset, n = 11) pre- and post-participation., Results: Of 24 enrollees, 17 completed the program and received an average of 7.58 (SD = 2.87) sessions including the initial assessment. Mobile device proficiency ( t (16) = -3.80, p =  .002) and number of days/week apps were used ( t (16) = -2.34, p =  .032) increased significantly from pre- to post-participation. Depressive and anxiety scores decreased significantly ( t (10) = 3.16, p =  .010; t (10) = 3.29, p =  .008) among the subset completing those measures. Overall satisfaction was high; 100% reported they would recommend the program., Conclusions: Findings suggest the program is feasible, highly acceptable, and increases mobile device proficiency and use of apps., Clinical Implications: Coaching programs can equip older adults with the skills to use mental health apps.

Objectives: Self-management may help older Veterans with mental health challenges and can overcome barriers to traditional psychotherapy. However, the reasons underlying older Veterans' treatment preferences remain unknown. The current study investigated older Veterans' perspectives on psychotherapy and self-management., Methods: Seventy-four Veterans ≥ 60 years old were included in this mixed methods study. Participants provided rationale(s) after ranking their preferences for psychotherapy and four self-management modalities. Logistic regressions examined whether depressive and anxiety symptom severity contributes to preferences. Qualitative analyses were conducted to investigate reasoning for preferences., Results: Most participants preferred psychotherapy (64.9%) over self-management (35.1%). Logistic regressions showed that depressive and anxiety symptom severity was not significantly associated with preferences. Qualitative analyses revealed that past experience and access-related barriers were underlying the preferences. Themes unique to psychotherapy included the availability of emotional support and the process of information sharing. In contrast, ease of access was associated with self-management., Conclusions: Older Veterans preferred psychotherapy to receive support and to develop trust in meeting their goals., Clinical Implications: Older Veterans' needs point to the importance of providers' consideration of a person-centered approach and treatment collaboration. Notably, Veterans' preference for psychotherapy highlights the importance and need for human support in addition to self-management tools.

Objectives: Cross-facility tele-geriatric psychiatry consultation is a promising model for providing specialty services to regions lacking sufficient geriatric psychiatry expertise. This evaluation focused on assessing the feasibility and acceptability of a consultation program developed by a geriatric psychiatrist in a Veterans Health Administration regional telehealth hub., Design: Concurrent, mixed methods program evaluation., Setting: A region served by a VA health care system telehealth hub., Participants: Patients with at least 1 geriatric mental health encounter with a geriatric psychiatrist consultant during a 1 year-period; referring providers., Intervention: Virtual psychiatric evaluation of Veterans with time-limited follow-up and e-consultation with providers., Measurements: Interviews with consultant, medical record data, and referring provider surveys., Results: Three hundred fifteen Veterans (M = 76.0 ± 9.64 years; 40% rural-dwelling) had 666 encounters (M = 2.11 ± 1.78) with most occurring via clinical video telehealth (n = 443; 67.6%), e-consultation (n = 99; 15.1%), or video to home (n = 95; 14.5%). Most encounters were related to neurocognitive disorders, depressive disorders, trauma-related disorders, or serious mental illness. Referring providers (N = 58) highly recommended the program, reported high satisfaction, followed through with recommendations, and believed that this program increased access to geriatric psychiatry., Conclusions: This single program was shown to be feasible, acceptable, and valued by the referring providers. The findings highlighted the complex presentations of Veterans referred, and the current unmet need of providers of such Veterans, providing impetus for wider implementation., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives: This study examined the acceptance, feasibility, and preliminary effects of a guided self-management intervention using video delivery and a telephone coach on anxiety and activity engagement., Method: Ten Veterans aged 60 years or older with anxiety disorders determined by Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5 th edition (SCID-5) at baseline visit participated in this non-randomized study examining a 4-week guided self-management intervention for anxiety. Feasibility was examined using participation engagement with the intervention. Measures of anxiety (Geriatric Anxiety Scale, PROMIS Anxiety Scale, Anxiety Control Questionnaire), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item), and activity participation (modified Activity Card Sort) administered at baseline and final (week 8) visit provided estimates of preliminary intervention effects. The Geriatric Anxiety Scale also was administered by phone at week 4. Participants completed a semi-structured qualitative interview at the final visit, which provided information about the acceptability, benefits of intervention, and barriers to engagement., Results: All participants ( N  = 10) reported that the intervention somewhat or completely met their expectations, demonstrating intervention acceptability. Intervention completers ( n  = 9) experienced reduced anxiety over the first 4 weeks, alongside significant improvements in anxiety control and personalized activity goals across 8 weeks. However, anxiety symptoms tended to return to baseline at follow-up. Participants identified the relaxation videos and promotion of a daily relaxation routine as the most helpful intervention components., Conclusions: Findings indicate that the intervention may improve activity participation and reduce anxiety. Thus, guided self-management interventions show promise for reducing distress and maintaining engagement later in life.

Introduction: Aging rural veterans have limited access to geriatric mental health services. The establishment of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) regional telehealth hubs, or Clinical Resource Hubs (CRHs), has the potential to improve access to specialist care via telehealth delivered across healthcare systems within each VHA region. We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR 1.0) to examine variations in the tele-geriatric mental health (tele-GMH) care models being used in four CRHs. Methods: We interviewed 11 CRH geriatric mental health providers and 12 leaders to (1) characterize the models of care, (2) identify factors in their region that support tele-GMH, (3) identify factors underlying model adaptations, and (4) learn about barriers and facilitators during implementation. The interviews were analyzed using a combination of CFIR-based coding and rapid qualitative analysis. Results: The services used multiple telehealth modalities; their care delivery approach ranged from consultative to continuity services. Aspects of the inner setting, specifically structural characteristics, implementation climate, and implementation readiness, influenced the model that each CRH implemented. Barriers were largely related to inner setting structural characteristics. Facilitators highlighted the importance of planning, iteration, and engaging stakeholders during implementation. Conclusion: Tele-GMH models varied in approach, tailoring their services to fit inner setting characteristics. Barriers and facilitators remained consistent across regions. Attending to inner setting characteristics, ongoing process improvement, and nurturing relationships with stakeholders is critical throughout the implementation of a tele-GMH program. Future research should examine the impact of the varied care delivery models on quantitative outcomes, including metrics related to access and healthcare utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]