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Abstract Background A central challenge to closing the mental health treatment gap in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is determining the most effective pathway for delivering evidence-based mental health services. We are conducting a cluster-randomized, Type 2 hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial across 20 districts of Mozambique called the Partnerships in Research to Implement and Disseminate Sustainable and Scalable EBPs (PRIDE) program. Following training of nonspecialized providers in facilitation of evidence-based treatments for mental health and informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), we identified how PRIDE compares to care as usual and the perceived barriers and facilitators of implementation and modifications needed for widescale service delivery and scale-up. Methods We conducted rapid ethnographic assessment using freelisting among 34 providers, followed by four focus group discussions (n = 29 participants) with a subsample of psychiatric technicians and primary care providers from 14 districts in Nampula Province. We used Thematic Analysis to inductively apply open codes to transcripts and then deductively applied the CFIR domains and constructs to organize open codes. Results The main Outer Setting constructs relevant to implementation were recognition that patient mental health needs were significant. Additionally, numerous community-level characteristics were identified as barriers, including distance between clinics; shortage of providers; and low awareness of mental health problems, stigma, and discrimination among community members towards those with mental health struggles. The PRIDE program was perceived to offer a relative advantage over usual care because of its use of task-sharing and treating mental illness in the community. PRIDE addressed Inner Setting barriers of having available resources and training and provider low self-efficacy and limited knowledge of mental illness. Providers recommended leadership engagement to give support for supervision of other task-shared professionals delivering mental healthcare. Conclusions Primary care providers and psychiatric technicians in Mozambique perceived the relative advantage of the PRIDE program to address mental health treatment access barriers and offered recommendations for successful sustainment and scale up of integrated mental health care.

Abstract Background Multiple evidence-based strategies (EBS) for promoting HPV vaccination exist. However, adolescent HPV vaccination rates remain below target levels in communities at high risk for HPV-associated cancers and served by safety-net clinics. Participatory engaged approaches are needed to leverage the expertise of community and clinical partners in selecting EBS relevant to their local context. We engaged concept mapping as a method to inform the adoption and adaptation of EBS that seeks to empower implementation partners to prioritize, select, and ultimately implement context-relevant EBS for HPV vaccination. Methods Using 38 EBS statements generated from qualitative interviews and national HPV vaccine advocacy sources, we conducted a modified concept mapping activity with partners internal to safety-net clinics and external community members in two study sites of a larger implementation study (Greater Los Angeles and New Jersey), to sort EBS into clusters and rate each EBS by importance and feasibility for increasing HPV vaccination within safety-net clinics. Concept mapping findings (EBS statement ratings, ladder graphs and go-zones) were shared with leaders from a large federally qualified health center (FQHC) system (focusing on three clinic sites), to select and implement EBS over 12 months. Results Concept mapping participants (n=23) sorted and rated statements, resulting in an eight-cluster solution: 1) Community education and outreach; 2) Advocacy and policy; 3) Data access/quality improvement monitoring; 4) Provider tracking/audit and feedback; 5) Provider recommendation/communication; 6) Expanding vaccine access; 7) Reducing missed opportunities; and 8) Nurse/staff workflow and training. The FQHC partner then selected to intervene on eight of 17 EBS statements in the “go-zone” for action, with three from “reducing missed opportunities,” two from “nurse/staff workflow and training,” and one each from “provider tracking/audit and feedback,” “provider recommendation/communication,” and “expanding vaccine access,” which the research team addressed through the implementation of three multi-level intervention strategies (e.g., physician communication training, staff training and workflow assessment, audit and feedback of clinic processes). Conclusions Concept mapping provided a powerful participatory approach to identify multilevel EBS for HPV vaccination relevant to the local safety-net clinic context, particularly when several strategies exist, and prioritization is necessary. This study demonstrates how a clinic system benefited directly from the ratings and prioritization of EBS by multilevel clinic and community partners within the broader safety-net clinic context to identify and adapt prioritized solutions needed to advance HPV vaccine equity.

Climate change is responsible for marked increases in the frequency and severity of bush/wildfires, resulting in more people exposed to such events with long-term subclinical psychiatric symptoms. This editorial calls for immediate action to implement comprehensive and novel approaches to treating these conditions and preventing them from developing into more severe disorders.

Abstract Background Policymaking is quickly gaining focus in the field of implementation science as a potential opportunity for aligning cross-sector systems and introducing incentives to promote population health, including substance use disorders (SUD) and their prevention in adolescents. Policymakers are seen as holding the necessary levers for realigning service infrastructure to more rapidly and effectively address adolescent behavioral health across the continuum of need (prevention through crisis care, mental health, and SUD) and in multiple locations (schools, primary care, community settings). The difficulty of aligning policy intent, policy design, and successful policy implementation is a well-known challenge in the broader public policy and public administration literature that also affects local behavioral health policymaking. This study will examine a blended approach of coproduction and codesign (i.e., Policy Codesign), iteratively developed over multiple years to address problems in policy formation that often lead to poor implementation outcomes. The current study evaluates this scalable approach using reproducible measures to grow the knowledge base in this field of study. Methods This is a single-arm, longitudinal, staggered implementation study to examine the acceptability and short-term impacts of Policy Codesign in resolving critical challenges in behavioral health policy formation. The aims are to (1) examine the acceptability, feasibility, and reach of Policy Codesign within two geographically distinct counties in Washington state, USA; (2) examine the impact of Policy Codesign on multisector policy development within these counties using social network analysis; and (3) assess the perceived replicability of Policy Codesign among leaders and other staff of policy-oriented state behavioral health intermediary organizations across the USA. Discussion This study will assess the feasibility of a specific approach to collaborative policy development, Policy Codesign, in two diverse regions. Results will inform a subsequent multi-state study measuring the impact and effectiveness of this approach for achieving multi-sector and evidence informed policy development in adolescent SUD prevention and treatment.

Abstract Background Obtaining information on implementation strategy costs and local budget impacts from multiple perspectives is essential to data-driven decision-making about resource allocation for successful evidence-based intervention delivery. This mixed methods study determines the costs and priorities of deploying Enhanced Replicating Effective Programs (REP) to implement the Michigan Model for Health™, a universal school-based prevention intervention, from key shareholder perspectives. Methods Our study included teachers in 8 high schools across 3 Michigan counties as part of a pilot cluster randomized trial. We used activity-based costing, mapping key Enhanced REP activities across implementation phases. We included multiple perspectives, including state agencies, regional education service agencies, lead organization, and implementers. We also conducted a budget impact analysis (BIA, assessing the potential financial impact of adopting Enhanced REP) and a scenario analysis to estimate replication and account for cost variability. We used an experimental embedded mixed methods approach, conducting semi-structured interviews and collecting field notes during the trial to expand and explain the cost data and the implications of costs across relevant perspectives. Results Based on trial results, we estimate costs for deploying Enhanced REP are $11,903/school, with an estimated range between $8263/school and $15,201/school. We estimate that adding four additional schools, consistent with the pilot, would cost $8659/school. Qualitative results indicated misalignment in school and teacher priorities in some cases. Implementation activities, including training and implementation facilitation with the health coordinator, were sometimes in addition to regular teaching responsibilities. The extent to which this occurred was partly due to leadership priorities (e.g., sticking to the district PD schedule) and organizational priorities (e.g., budget). Conclusions Previous research findings indicate that, from a societal perspective, universal prevention is an excellent return on investment. However, notable misalignment in cost burden and priorities exists across shareholder groups. Our results indicate significant personal time costs by teachers when engaging in implementation strategy activities that impose an opportunity cost. Additional strategies are needed to improve the alignment of costs and benefits to enhance the success and sustainability of implementation. We focus on those perspectives informed by the analysis and discuss opportunities to expand a multi-level focus and create greater alignment across perspectives. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04752189. Registered on 12 February 2021.

Abstract Background Despite the heightened risk for substance use (SU) among youth in the juvenile justice system, many do not receive the treatment that they need. Objectives The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which youth under community supervision by juvenile justice agencies receive community-based SU services and the factors associated with access to such services. Methods Data are from a nationally representative sample of Community Supervision (CS) agencies and their primary behavioral health (BH) partners. Surveys were completed by 192 CS and 271 BH agencies. Results SU services are more often available through BH than CS for all treatment modalities. EBPs are more likely to be used by BH than by CS. Co-location of services occurs most often in communities with fewer treatment options and is associated with higher interagency collaboration. Youth are more likely to receive services in communities with higher EBP use, which mediates the relationship between the availability of SU treatment modalities and the proportion of youth served. Conclusion Findings identify opportunities to strengthen community systems and improve linkage to care.

Abstract Background School-based drug use prevention programs have demonstrated notable potential to reduce the onset and escalation of drug use, including among youth at risk of poor outcomes such as those exposed to trauma. Researchers have found a robust relationship between intervention fidelity and participant (i.e., student) outcomes. Effective implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as the Michigan Model for HealthTM (MMH), is critical to achieving desired public health objectives. Yet, a persistent gap remains in what we know works and how to effectively translate these findings into routine practice. The objective of this study is to design and test a multi-component implementation strategy to tailor MMH to meet population needs (i.e., students exposed to trauma), and improve the population-context fit to enhance fidelity and effectiveness. Methods Using a 2-group, mixed-method randomized controlled trial design, this study will compare standard implementation versus Enhanced Replicating Effective Programs (REP) to deliver MMH. REP is a theoretically based implementation strategy that promotes evidence-based intervention (EBI) fidelity through a combination of EBI curriculum packaging, training, and as-needed technical assistance and is consistent with standard MMH implementation. Enhanced REP will tailor the intervention and training to integrate trauma-informed approaches and deploy customized implementation support (i.e., facilitation). The research will address the following specific aims: (1) design and test an implementation strategy (Enhanced REP) to deliver the MMH versus standard implementation and evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness using mixed methods, (2) estimate the costs and cost-effectiveness of Enhanced REP to deliver MMH versus standard implementation. Discussion This research will design and test a multi-component implementation strategy focused on enhancing the fit between the intervention and population needs while maintaining fidelity to MMH core functions. We focus on the feasibility of deploying the implementation strategy bundle and costing methods and preliminary information on cost input distributions. The substantive focus on youth at heightened risk of drug use and its consequences due to trauma exposure is significant because of the public health impact of prevention. Pilot studies of implementation strategies are underutilized and can provide vital information on designing and testing effective strategies by addressing potential design and methods uncertainties and the effects of the implementation strategy on implementation and student outcomes. Trial registration NCT04752189—registered on 8 February 2021 on ClinicalTrials.gov PRS

School-based HPV vaccination programs have improved vaccine uptake among adolescents globally. However, school-based HPV vaccination strategies in the United States (US) have mainly focused on school-entry mandates for vaccination, which have passed in only five states/jurisdictions. Many schools and school-based health centers (SBHCs) already provide health services to medically underserved adolescents and opportunities to improve disparities in HPV vaccine education and uptake are underexplored. This qualitative study of clinic and community members assessed potential opportunities within and outside schools to increase HPV vaccination. Data were generated from a larger mixed-methods study designed to understand experiences with HPV vaccination evidence-based strategies in medically underserved communities. The parent study included interviews and focus groups conducted with clinic (providers, clinic leaders, staff) and community (racial/ethnic minority parents, advocates, payers, policy representatives) members in Los Angeles and New Jersey between December 2020-January 2022. We created a reduced dataset of text related to schools/SBHCs (30 in-depth interviews, 7 focus groups) and conducted a directed content analysis. Participants indicated that schools and SBHCs are ideal venues for reaching medically underserved adolescents experiencing barriers to primary care access. Parents/providers expressed mutual interest in HPV vaccine administration/education in schools, but some advocates/policy participants experienced challenges due to increasing politicization of vaccines. Participants highlighted policies for expanding HPV vaccine education and administration in schools, including minor consent and increasing SBHC funding for HPV vaccines. More research is needed to explore existing infrastructure, partner motivation, and opportunities to improve HPV vaccination among medically underserved adolescents within schools beyond vaccine mandates.

Abstract Background Psychosocial interventions are needed to enhance patient engagement and retention in medication treatment within opioid treatment programs. Measurement-based care (MBC), an evidence-based intervention structure that involves ongoing monitoring of treatment progress over time to assess the need for treatment modifications, has been recommended as a flexible and low-cost intervention for opioid treatment program use. The MBC2OTP Project is a two-phase pilot hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation trial that has three specific aims: (1) to employ Rapid Assessment Procedure Informed Clinical Ethnography (RAPICE) to collect mixed methods data to inform MBC implementation; (2) to use RAPICE data to adapt an MBC protocol; and (3) to conduct a hybrid type 1 trial to evaluate MBC’s preliminary effectiveness and implementation potential in opioid treatment programs. Methods This study will be conducted in two phases. Phase 1 will include RAPICE site visits, qualitative interviews (N = 32–48 total), and quantitative surveys (N = 64–80 total) with staff at eight programs to build community partnerships and evaluate contextual factors impacting MBC implementation. Mixed methods data will be analyzed using immersion/crystallization and thematic analysis to inform MBC adaptation and site selection. Four programs selected for Phase 2 will participate in MBC electronic medical record integration, training, and ongoing support. Chart reviews will be completed in the 6 months prior-to and following MBC integration (N = 160 charts, 80 pre and post) to evaluate effectiveness (patient opioid abstinence and treatment engagement) and implementation outcomes (counselor MBC exposure and fidelity). Discussion This study is among the first to take forward recommendations to implement and evaluate MBC in opioid treatment programs. It will also employ an innovative RAPICE approach to enhance the quality and rigor of data collection and inform the development of an MBC protocol best matched to opioid treatment programs. Overall, this work seeks to enhance treatment provision and clinical outcomes for patients with opioid use disorder. Trial registration This study will be registered with Clinicaltrials.gov within 21 days of first participant enrollment in Phase 2. Study Phase 1 (RAPICE) does not qualify as a clinical trial, therefore Phase 2 clinical trial registration has not yet been pursued because all elements of Phase 2 will be dependent on Phase 1 outcomes.

IntroductionWe explored priorities and perspectives on health policy and payer strategies for improving HPV vaccination rates in safety-net settings in the United States.MethodsWe conducted qualitative interviews with policy and payer representatives in the greater Los Angeles region and state of New Jersey between December 2020 and January 2022. Practice Change Model domains guided data collection, thematic analysis, and interpretation.ResultsFive themes emerged from interviews with 11 policy and 8 payer participants, including: (1) payer representatives not prioritizing HPV vaccination specifically in incentive-driven clinic metrics; (2) policy representatives noting region-specific HPV vaccine policy options; (3) inconsistent motivation across policy/payer groups to improve HPV vaccination; (4) targeting of HPV vaccination in quality improvement initiatives suggested across policy/payer groups; and (5) COVID-19 pandemic viewed as both barrier and opportunity for HPV vaccination improvement across policy/payer groups.DiscussionOur findings indicate opportunities for incorporating policy and payer perspectives into HPV vaccine improvement processes. We identified a need to translate effective policy and payer strategies, such as pay-for-performance programs, to improve HPV vaccination within safety-net settings. COVID-19 vaccination strategies and community efforts create potential policy windows for expanding HPV vaccine awareness and access.

Background: Effective implementation of evidence-based prevention interventions in schools is vital to reducing the burden of drug use and its consequences. Universal prevention interventions often fail to achieve desired public health outcomes due to poor implementation. One central reason for suboptimal implementation is the limited fit between the intervention and the setting. Research is needed to increase our understanding of how intervention characteristics and context influence intervention implementation in schools to design implementation strategies that will address barriers and improve public health impact. Methods Using a convergent mixed methods design we examined qualitative and quantitative data on implementation determinants for an evidence-based health curriculum, the Michigan Model for Health TM (MMH) from the perspective of health teachers delivering the curriculum in high schools across the state. We examined data strands independently and integrated them by investigating data alignment, expansion, and divergence. Results We identified three mixed methods domains: (1) Acceptability, (2) intervention-context fit, and (3) adaptability. We found alignment across data strands as teachers reporting low acceptability also reported low fidelity. The fit between student needs and the curriculum predicted fidelity (expansion). Teachers mentioned instances of poor intervention-context fit (discordance), including when meeting the needs of trauma-exposed youth and keeping updated on youth drug use trends. Teachers reported high adaptability (concordance) but also instances when adaptation was challenging (discordance). Conclusions This investigation advances implementation research by deepening our understanding of implementation determinants for an evidence-based universal prevention intervention in schools. This will support designing effective implementation strategies to address barriers and advance the public health impact of interventions that address important risk and protective factors for all youth. Plain Language Summary (1) What is Already Known About the Topic? While many evidence-based interventions (EBIs) exist to address key health issues among youth including substance use and mental health, few of these interventions are effectively implemented in community settings, such as schools. Notable multilevel barriers exist to implement universal prevention in schools. Researchers identify that misalignment between the intervention and the context is a key reason why many implementation efforts do not achieve desired outcomes. (2) What Does This Paper Add? This paper combines the strengths of qualitative and quantitative research methods to identify and understand challenges to intervention-context fit for a comprehensive health curriculum, the Michigan Model for Health TM (MMH) which is widely adopted throughout Michigan, from the perspective of end users. This paper also utilizes the consolidated framework for implementation research and implementation outcomes framework to guide our understanding of implementing complex interventions and key barriers to implementation in schools. This research provides a foundation to design effective strategies that will balance curriculum fidelity and adaptation to achieve public health objectives. (3) What are the Implications for Practice, Research, or Policy? We need implementation strategies that guide flexibility and fidelity in EBI delivery in schools. While overall teachers felt the curriculum was adaptable and met student needs, they also mentioned specific instances when they would benefit from additional implementation support, such as making adaptations to meet the needs of trauma-exposed youth and keeping up-to-date with emerging drugs. Implementation strategies designed to address these challenges can improve fidelity and ultimately student well-being.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare delivery within safety-net settings. Barriers to and facilitators of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination during the pandemic can inform future HPV vaccine strategies for underserved communities. Qualitative interviews (n = 52) between December 2020 and January 2022 in Los Angeles and New Jersey were conducted with providers, clinic leaders, clinic staff, advocates, payers, and policy-level representatives involved in the HPV vaccine process. Using the updated Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research we identified (1) outer setting barriers (i.e., vaccine hesitancy driven by social media, political views during the pandemic) and facilitators (e.g., partnerships); (2) inner setting clinic facilitators (i.e., motivation-driven clinic metrics, patient outreach, vaccine outreach events); (3) individual characteristics such as patient barriers (i.e., less likely to utilize clinic services during the pandemic and therefore, additional outreach to address missed vaccine doses are needed); (4) innovations in HPV vaccination strategies (i.e., clinic workflow changes to minimize exposure to COVID-19, leveraging new community partnerships (e.g., with local schools)); and (5) implementation strategies (i.e., multisectoral commitment to HPV goals). Pandemic setbacks forced safety-net settings to develop new vaccine approaches and partnerships that may translate to new implementation strategies for HPV vaccination within local contexts and communities.

Background: Greenhouse gas emissions are changing the Earth's climate, most directly by modifying temperatures and temperature variability (TV). Residents of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are likely more adversely affected, due to lack of air conditioning to compensate. To date, there is no local epidemiological evidence documenting the cardio-respiratory health effects of TV in Dhaka, Bangladesh, one of the most climate change vulnerable cities in the world. Objectives: We assessed short-term TV associations with daily cardiovascular disease (CVD) and respiratory emergency department (ED) visits, as well as effect modification by age and season. Methods: TV was calculated from the standard deviations of the daily minimum and maximum temperatures over exposure days. Time-series regression modeling was applied to daily ED visits for respiratory and CVD from January 2014 through December 2017. TV effect sizes were estimated after controlling for long-term trends and seasonality, day-of-week, holidays, and daily mean relative humidity and ambient temperature. Results: A 1 °C increase in TV was associated with a 1.00% (95 %CI: 0.05%, 1.96%) increase in CVD ED visits at lag 0–1 days (TV0-1) and a 2.77% (95 %CI: 0.24%, 5.20%) increase in respiratory ED visits at lag 0–7 days (TV0-7). TV-CVD associations were larger in the monsoon and cold seasons. Respiratory ED visit associations varied by age, with older adults more affected by the TV across all seasons. A 1 °C increase in TV at lag 0–7 days (TV0-7) was associated with a 7.45% (95 %CI: 2.33%, 12.57%) increase in respiratory ED visits among patients above 50 years of age. Conclusion: This study provided novel and important evidence that cardio-pulmonary health in Dhaka is adversely affected year-round by day-to-day increases in TV, especially among older adults. TV is a key factor that should be considered in evaluating the potential human health impacts of climate change induced temperature changes.

Abstract Background The youth criminal-legal system is under heavy political scrutiny with multiple calls for significant transformation. Leaders within the system are faced with rethinking traditional models and are likely to benefit from behavioral health research evidence as they redesign systems. Little is known about how juvenile court systems access and use behavioral health research evidence; further, the field lacks a validated survey measure of behavioral health research use that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of evidence dissemination interventions for policy and system leaders. Conceptual research use is a particularly salient construct for system reform as it describes the process of shifting awareness and the consideration of new frameworks for action. A tool designed to measure the conceptual use of behavioral health research would advance the field’s ability to develop effective models of research evidence dissemination, including collaborative planning models to support the use of behavioral health research in reforms of the criminal-legal system. Methods The ARC Study is a longitudinal, cohort and measurement validation study. It will proceed in two phases. The first phase will focus on measure development using established methods of construct validity (theoretical review, Delphi methods for expert review, cognitive interviewing). The second phase will involve gathering responses from the developed survey to examine scale psychometrics using Rasch analyses, change sensitivity analyses, and associations between research use exposure and conceptual research use among juvenile court leaders. We will recruit juvenile court leaders (judges, administrators, managers, supervisors) from 80 juvenile court jurisdictions with an anticipated sample size of n = 520 respondents. Discussion The study will introduce a new measurement tool for the field that will advance implementation science methods for the study of behavioral health research evidence use in complex policy and decision-making interventions. To date, there are few validated survey measures of conceptual research use and no measures that are validated for measuring change in conceptual frameworks over time among agency leaders. While the study is most directly related to leaders in the youth criminal-legal system, the findings are expected to be informative for research focused on leadership and decision-making in diverse fields.

Abstract Background Child maltreatment (CM) is a major public health problem, affecting many lives, in the short and long term, and costing individuals, families, and society dearly. There is a need for broad implementation of evidence-based preventive interventions, such as the Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) model, developed for pediatric primary care. Primary care offers an excellent opportunity to help address prevalent psychosocial problems (e.g., parental depression) that are risk factors for CM. By addressing such problems, SEEK can strengthen families and support parents; promote children’s health, development, and safety; help prevent CM; and benefit the health of the US population. This study will examine intervention strategies for optimizing SEEK’s adoption, implementation, and sustainment, and its effectiveness in preventing CM. Despite strong evidence from two federally funded randomized controlled trials, SEEK has not been widely adopted. The goal of this study is to examine technology-driven implementation strategies to scale-up SEEK—in pediatric and family medicine primary care settings. The aims are to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of training strategies on SEEK’s implementation in primary care practices, (2) evaluate barriers and facilitators to successful implementation and sustainment of SEEK, and (3) examine the model’s effectiveness in preventing CM and the economic costs of implementing SEEK. Methods This randomized type III hybrid mixed methods design will examine how advances in medical training can bolster SEEK’s adoption and implementation in pediatric and family medicine practices in different regions of the USA. These are independent online training and in-depth structured training via a quality improvement project, approved by the American Boards of Pediatrics and of Family Medicine. We will also evaluate SEEKonline, software that assists primary care practitioners implement the model, and a “Traditional” paper and pencil strategy for their impact on implementation. The study uses the EPIS framework and the Universal Stages of Implementation Completion, quantitative measures, qualitative interviews, and data abstracted from electronic health records. Discussion The knowledge gained should improve pediatric primary care to better address prevalent social determinants of health, benefiting many children and families. The outcomes should enhance the field of implementation science and guide future interventions in primary care. Trial registration NCT03642327 , Clinical Trials, registered August 21, 2018.

Abstract Background Enhancing the sustainability of evidence-based prevention programs for mental and behavioral health requires tools for measuring both sustainability determinants and sustainment outcomes. The aim of this study was to develop the Sustainment Measurement System Scale (SMSS) and to assess its reliability and construct validity for measuring both determinants and outcomes of efforts to sustain prevention programs and initiatives. Methods A 42-item scale comprised of items identified from qualitative data collected from 45 representatives of 10 programs and 8 SAMHSA program officers was administered to 186 representatives of 145 programs funded by 7 SAMHSA prevention grant initiatives. Cronbach’s alphas were used to determine inter-item reliability. Convergent validity was assessed by comparisons of a global measure of sustainment with current SAMHSA-funding status and continued operation in the same form. Discriminant validity was assessed by comparisons of sustainability determinants with whether or not the program had undergone adaptations. Results Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for a 35-item model fit to the data. Cronbach’s alpha was .84 for the sustainment outcome construct and ranged from .70 to .93 for the sustainability determinant constructs. All of the determinant constructs were significantly associated with sustainment outcome individual and global measures for the entire sample (p < 0.01 to 0.001) and for community-based programs and programs with a substance abuse focus (p < 0.05 to 0.001). Convergent validity was supported by significant associations between the global sustainment measure and current SAMHSA funding status and continued operation in the same form (p < 0.001). Four of the sustainability determinant constructs (responsive to community needs; coalitions, partnerships, and networks; organizational staff capability; and evaluation, feedback, and program outcomes) were also significantly associated with current SAMHSA funding status (p < 0.5 to 0.01). With the exception of organizational staff capability, all sustainability determinants were unrelated to program adaptation as predicted. Conclusions The SMSS demonstrated good reliability and convergent and discriminant validity in assessing likelihood of sustainment of SAMHSA funded prevention programs and initiatives. The measure demonstrates potential in identifying predictors of program sustainment and as a tool for enhancing the likelihood of successful sustainment through ongoing evaluation and feedback.

Objective: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention efficacy trials with psychiatric patients have been conducted in research settings in high-resourced countries, establishing short-term efficacy for reducing sexual risk behavior. None has been implemented within systems of care. In the last decade, overcoming this research-to-practice gap has become a focus of implementation science. This paper describes the first and only HIV Prevention intervention trial for psychiatric patients conducted in real-world outpatient psychiatric settings facilitated by trained clinic-based providers. Methods: The HIV Prevention intervention, which uses the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills model to achieve sexual risk-reduction, was rigorously adapted to the local context and clinic services’ needs. Participants from eight clinics were randomized to HIV Prevention or Health Promotion conditions. Results: HIV Prevention participants showed significant improvement in Information-Motivation-Behavioral domains; in this group, behavioral intentions were associated with significantly fewer unprotected sex occasions, but reduction of unprotected sex occasions was similar in both conditions. Conclusion: Our trial was conducted before implementation studies became widely funded. Transporting an intervention to a new culture or into real-world practice settings may require adaptations. Our results demonstrate that clear guidelines are needed regarding whether to conduct efficacy, effectiveness, and/or implementation research as the most appropriate next step. Clinical trial registration: NCT00881699

Despite a seemingly higher need, refugees in Europe tend to underuse mental health (MH) services. To better understand this underuse, it is important to understand refugees' willingness and ability to seek help from their general practitioner (GP) when experiencing MH problems. We employed a combined vignette and survey design to explore how the GP fits into the larger context of help-seeking preferences among a sample of Syrian refugees in Norway (n = 92), and what barriers they perceive in accessing help from the GP. We also examined how indicators of integration relate to seeking help from the GP. We take an exploratory approach. Participants were presented a vignette of an individual with symptoms in line with ICD-10 and DSM-5 criteria for depression. Participants were somewhat likely to seek help from the GP; however, seeking help from one's relationship with Allah/God and one's partner was preferred. Furthermore, while the GP was rated a somewhat likely help-seeking source, most participants indicated an average of two barriers to seeking help from the GP. Finally, social ties to the majority population in the form of social integration and feelings of connectedness with the host country (psychological integration) were positively correlated with likelihood of seeking help from the GP. Taken together, these findings suggest that the GP is considered a viable source of help among Syrians with a refugee background in the current sample, but that this may be influenced by perceived barriers and social as well as psychological integration. Addressing these barriers and promoting psychosocial integration with the host country are key to facilitating access and usage amongst refugees in need of MH services.

Abstract Context Implementation science measures are rarely used by stakeholders to inform and enhance clinical program change. Little is known about what makes implementation measures pragmatic (i.e., practical) for use in community settings; thus, the present study’s objective was to generate a clinical stakeholder-driven operationalization of a pragmatic measures construct. Evidence acquisition The pragmatic measures construct was defined using: 1) a systematic literature review to identify dimensions of the construct using PsycINFO and PubMed databases, and 2) interviews with an international stakeholder panel (N = 7) who were asked about their perspectives of pragmatic measures. Evidence synthesis Combined results from the systematic literature review and stakeholder interviews revealed a final list of 47 short statements (e.g., feasible, low cost, brief) describing pragmatic measures, which will allow for the development of a rigorous, stakeholder-driven conceptualization of the pragmatic measures construct. Conclusions Results revealed significant overlap between terms related to the pragmatic construct in the existing literature and stakeholder interviews. However, a number of terms were unique to each methodology. This underscores the importance of understanding stakeholder perspectives of criteria measuring the pragmatic construct. These results will be used to inform future phases of the project where stakeholders will determine the relative importance and clarity of each dimension of the pragmatic construct, as well as their priorities for the pragmatic dimensions. Taken together, these results will be incorporated into a pragmatic rating system for existing implementation science measures to support implementation science and practice.

HPV vaccination rates remain below target levels among adolescents in the United States, which is particularly concerning in safety-net populations with persistent disparities in HPV-associated cancer burden. Perspectives on evidence-based strategies (EBS) for HPV vaccination among key implementation participants, internal and external to clinics, can provide a better understanding of why these disparities persist. We conducted virtual interviews and focus groups, guided by the Practice Change Model, with clinic members (providers, clinic leaders, and clinic staff) and community members (advocates, parents, policy-level, and payers) in Los Angeles and New Jersey to understand common and divergent perspectives on and experiences with HPV vaccination in safety-net primary care settings. Fifty-eight interviews and seven focus groups were conducted (n = 65 total). Clinic members (clinic leaders n = 7, providers n = 12, and clinic staff n = 6) revealed conflicting HPV vaccine messaging, lack of shared motivation to reduce missed opportunities and improve workflows, and non-operability between clinic electronic health records and state immunization registries created barriers for implementing effective strategies. Community members (advocates n = 8, policy n = 11, payers n = 8, and parents n = 13) described lack of HPV vaccine prioritization among payers, a reliance on advocates to lead national agenda setting and facilitate local implementation, and opportunities to support and engage schools in HPV vaccine messaging and adolescents in HPV vaccine decision-making. Participants indicated the COVID-19 pandemic complicated prioritization of HPV vaccination but also created opportunities for change. These findings highlight design and selection criteria for identifying and implementing EBS (changing the intervention itself, or practice-level resources versus external motivators) that bring internal and external clinic partners together for targeted approaches that account for local needs in improving HPV vaccine uptake within safety-net settings.

Abstract Few conceptual frameworks attempt to connect disaster‐associated environmental injuries to impacts on ecosystem services (the benefits humans derive from nature) and thence to both psychological and physiological human health effects. To our knowledge, this study is one of the first, if not the first, to develop a detailed conceptual model of how degraded ecosystem services affect cumulative stress impacts on the health of individual humans and communities. Our comprehensive Disaster‐Pressure State‐Ecosystem Services‐Response‐Health model demonstrates that oil spills, hurricanes, and other disasters can change key ecosystem components resulting in reductions in individual and multiple ecosystem services that support people's livelihoods, health, and way of life. Further, the model elucidates how damage to ecosystem services produces acute, chronic, and cumulative stress in humans which increases risk of adverse psychological and physiological health outcomes. While developed and initially applied within the context of the Gulf of Mexico, it should work equally well in other geographies and for many disasters that cause impairment of ecosystem services. Use of this new tool will improve planning for responses to future disasters and help society more fully account for the costs and benefits of potential management responses. The model also can be used to help direct investments in improving response capabilities of the public health community, biomedical researchers, and environmental scientists. Finally, the model illustrates why the broad range of potential human health effects of disasters should receive equal attention to that accorded environmental damages in assessing restoration and recovery costs and time frames.

Abstract Background This study examined how mental health clinic administrators decided whether or not to adopt evidence-based and other innovative practices by exploring their views of implementation barriers and facilitators and operation of these views in assessment of implementation costs and benefits. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 75 agency chief executive officers and program directors of 34 New York State-licensed mental health clinics serving children and adolescents. Results Three interconnected themes relating to barriers and facilitators were identified, namely costs and benefits associated with adoption, capacity for adoption, and acceptability of new practices. The highest percentage of participants (86.7%) mentioned costs as a barrier, followed by limited capacity (55.9%) and lack of acceptability (52.9%). The highest percentage (82.3%) of participants identified available capacity as a facilitator, followed by acceptability (41.2%) and benefits or limited costs (24.0%). Assessment of costs and benefits exhibited several principles of behavioural economics, including loss aversion, temporal discounting use of heuristics, sensitivity to monetary incentives, decision fatigue, framing, and environmental influences. Conclusions The results point to opportunities for using agency leader models to develop strategies to facilitate implementation of evidence-based and innovative practices for children and adolescents.

Korean Americans in the United States are more likely than other Asian ethnic groups to lack health insurance despite their high education and economic prosperity. According to the model of health service selection, immigrants' perceptions of the health care system and health care behaviors in their host country are affected by sociocultural referents including premigration health care experience in the country of origin. This study explored Korean immigrants' perceptions of health insurance and their intentions to purchase and maintain health insurance in the United States. We conducted in-depth interviews with 24 self-employed Korean immigrants who migrated from South Korea and were living in the Greater Los Angeles area in 2015. Participants generally had negative perceptions of U.S. health insurance in terms of cost, benefits, simplicity, and accessibility. Coupled with their positive experiences with the single-payer, universal health insurance in South Korea, respondents evaluated U.S. health insurance as not worth purchasing, and indicated they would not maintain health insurance once the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act was abolished. On the contrary, respondents who immigrated prior to the establishment of the Korean universal health insurance in South Korea were relatively satisfied with U.S. health insurance and had maintained health insurance for substantial periods of time. Korean immigrants' premigration health care experiences appeared to influence their decisions to purchase health insurance in the United States and their intention to maintain health insurance. The study findings highlight the necessity of tailored health education that takes into account sociocultural determinants of health coverage among immigrants.

Background: This study examined influences on the decisions of administrators of youth-serving organizations to initiate and proceed with implementation of an evidence-based practice (EBP).Methods: Semi-structured interviews, developed using the Stages of Implementation Completion (SIC) as a framework, were conducted with 19 agency chief executive officers and program directors of 15 organizations serving children and adolescents.Results: Agency leaders' self-assessments of implementation feasibility and desirability prior to implementation (Pre-implementation) were influenced by intervention affordability, feasibility, requirements, validity, reliability, relevance, cost savings, positive outcomes, and adequacy of information; availability of funding, support from sources external to the agency, and adequacy of technical assistance; and staff availability and attitudes toward innovation in general and EBPs in particular, organizational capacity, fit between the EBP and agency mission and capacity, prior experience with implementation, experience with seeking evidence, and developing consensus. Assessments during the Implementation phase included intervention flexibility and requirements; availability of funding, adequacy of training and technical assistance, and getting sufficient and appropriate referrals; and staffing and implementing with fidelity. Assessments during the Sustainment phase included intervention costs and benefits; availability of funding, support from sources outside of the agency, and need for the EBP; and the fit between the EBP and the agency mission.Discussion: The results point to opportunities for using agency leader models to develop strategies to facilitate implementation of evidence-based and innovative practices for children and adolescents. The SIC provides a standardized framework for guiding agency leader self-assessments of implementation.