Psychiatric services : a journal of the American Psychiatric Association
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Mechanism of Action for Obtaining Job Offers With Virtual Reality Job Interview Training.
Four randomized controlled trials revealed that virtual-reality job interview training (VR-JIT) improved interviewing skills and the odds of obtaining a job offer among trainees with severe mental illness or autism spectrum disorder. This study assessed whether postintervention interviewing skills mediated the relationship between completion of virtual interviews and receiving job offers by six-month follow-up. ⋯ VR-JIT may provide a mechanism of action that helps trainees with various psychiatric diagnoses obtain job offers in the community. Future research can evaluate the community-based effectiveness of this novel intervention.
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The one-year readmission rates for children and youths hospitalized for a psychiatric condition is estimated at 38%. Studies suggest that these high readmission rates result from a lack of aftercare, but evidence is mixed. This study further explored the relationship between aftercare and readmission among children and youths ages five to 24 in Alberta, Canada, by using the same study sample to identify predictors of both outcomes. ⋯ Access to community mental health services for children and youths remains a priority. The significant role of aftercare in reducing readmission risk demonstrates the need to improve these services.
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The emergence of evidence-based psychological treatments (EVPTs) is a scientific success story, but unfortunately the application of these empirically supported procedures has been slow to gain ground in treatment-as-usual settings. This Open Forum commentary argues that direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing, which has worked well in communicating the advantages of various medicines, should perhaps be considered for use in social marketing of EVPTs. DTC marketing of pharmaceuticals is a long-standing advertising strategy in the United States. ⋯ The authors recommend various strategies for using marketing science to devise DTC advertising of EVPTs, discuss previous research on DTC campaigns, and describe initiatives launched in the United Kingdom and Europe to promote EVPTs. Suggestions for evaluating and regulating DTC marketing of EVPTs are included. Finally, the potential for DTC marketing of EVPTs to increase mental health literacy and reduce health disparities is explored.
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Off-Label Prescribing of Psychotropic Medication, 2005-2013: An Examination of Potential Influences.
This study examined rates of psychotropic prescriptions for various on- and off-label uses in 2005 and 2013 in the context of changes in labeled indications. ⋯ FDA labeling plays an important but imperfect role in influencing how providers select medications. Prescribing increases for medications with new indications. Conversely, black box warnings of potentially dangerous side effects result in decreased prescribing. However, labeled indications often lag the science, and prescribing patterns should be tracked to inform the need for more education, research, and labeling changes.