Objective Persons with serious mental illness frequently receive inadequate medical care and are more likely to experience difficulty navigating the health care system compared with the general population. To address this gap in quality, we developed a program of peer co-led collaborative activation training for primary care (CAT-PC) designed to improve “patient activation” and person-centered care in primary care visits for middle-aged and older adults with serious mental illness and cardiovascular risk. This report presents pilot study feasibility and participant outcomes for CAT-PC. Method A pre-post pilot evaluation of CAT-PC included N = 17 adults (age ≥ 50) with serious mental illness and cardiovascular health risk conditions, and N = 6 primary care providers. CAT-PC consists of 9 weekly peer co-led patient education and skills training sessions and a 45-min video-based training for primary care providers. Pre-post measures included the Patient Activation Measure (PAM), Perceived Efficacy in Patient-Physician Interactions (PEPPI), Autonomy Preference Index (API) for preferred role in primary care encounters, and Social Skills Performance Assessment (SSPA) role-play test for medical visits. Results All 17 participants attended 5 or more sessions. Post-intervention improvement was found for patient activation and simulated performance of medical visit communication skills. Trends were observed for improved self-efficacy in provider interactions and greater preference for a more collaborative role in decision-making. Conclusions and Implications CAT-PC is a brief, peer co-led education and skills training intervention potentially improving patient activation in primary care encounters and providing an important missing component in emerging models of “patient-centered behavioral health homes” for this high-risk group.

Introduction: Opioid abuse has reached epidemic levels. Evidence-based treatments such as buprenorphine maintenance therapy (BMT) remain underutilized. Offering BMT in primary care settings has the potential to reduce overall costs of care, decrease medical morbidity associated with opioid dependence, and improve treatment outcomes. However, access to BMT, especially in rural areas, remains limited. This article will present a review of barriers to adoption of BMT among family physicians in a primarily rural area in the USA. Methods: An anonymous survey of family physicians practicing in Vermont or New Hampshire, two largely rural states, was conducted. The survey included both quantitative and qualitative questions, focused on BMT adoption and physician opinions of opioids. Specific factors assessed included physician factors, physicians' understanding of patient factors, and logistical issues. Results: One-hundred and eight family physicians completed the survey. Approximately 10% were buprenorphine prescribers. More than 80% of family physicians felt they regularly saw patients addicted to opiates. The majority (70%) felt that they, as family physicians, bore responsibility for treating opiate addiction. Potential logistical barriers to buprenorphine adoption included inadequately trained staff (88%), insufficient time (80%), inadequate office space (49%), and cumbersome regulations (37%). Common themes addressed in open-ended questions included lack of knowledge, time, or interest; mistrust of people with addiction or buprenorphine; and difficult patient population. Conclusions: This study aims to quantify perceived barriers to treatment and provide insight expanding the community of family physicians offering BMT. The results suggest family physicians are excellent candidates to provide BMT, as most report regularly seeing opioid-addicted patients and believe that treating opioid addiction is their responsibility. Significant barriers remain, including inadequate staff training, lack of access to addiction experts, and perceived efficacy of BMT. Addressing these barriers may lower resistance to buprenorphine adoption and increase access to BMT in rural areas.

Objective Many older persons with serious mental illness (SMI) suffer from high rates of comorbid medical conditions. Although families play a critical role in psychiatric illness management among adults with SMI, their contributions to improving health outcomes in this population has received little attention. This study explored family involvement in medical care for older adults with SMI. Methods This mixed methods study involved analysis of quantitative data collected from older adults with SMI and cardiovascular risk (n=28) participating in a pilot study of an intervention designed to improve patient-centered primary care augmented by qualitative interviews with their relatives (n=13) to explore family involvement in medical care. Results Approximately 89% of older adults with SMI reported family involvement in at least one aspect of their medical care (e.g., medication reminders, medical decision making). However, many family members reported that they were rarely involved in their relative's medical visits, and most did not perceive a need to be involved during routine care. Family members identified obesity as their relative's primary health concern and many wanted guidance from providers on effective strategies for supporting weight loss. Conclusions Although many family members did not perceive a need to be involved in their relative's routine medical visits, they expressed interest in talking with providers about how to help their relative change unhealthy behaviors. Educating patients, families, and providers about the potential benefits of family involvement in medical care, including routine medical visits for persons with SMI and cardiovascular health risk may promote patient-and family-centered collaboration in this high-risk population.

The overall rate of recent violent ideation or behaviour is similar to other studies; up to one-third of individuals experiencing a first-episode of psychosis (FEP) report violence. Recent legal involvement was strongly associated with substance use. This study presents insight into violence and legal involvement among individuals with FEP and indicates the need for further research.

Suicide prevention efforts are increasing to enhance capabilities and better understand risk factors and etiologies. Postvention, or how clinicians manage the postsuicide aftermath, strengthens suicide prevention, destigmatizes the tragedy, operationalizes the confusing aftermath, and promotes caregiver recovery. However, studies regarding its efficacy are minimal. The Psychopathology Committee of the Group for the Advancement for Psychiatry surveyed a convenience sample of psychiatrists to better understand postvention activities. Ninety psychiatrists completed the survey; they were predominantly men (72%) with an average of 24.6 years of experience (SD, 16.7 years). Most had contact with the patient’s family within 6 months of the suicide, and most psychiatrists sought some form of support. Few psychiatrists used a suicide postvention procedure or toolkit (9%). No psychiatrists stopped clinical practice after a patient suicide, although 10% stopped accepting patients they deemed at risk of suicide. Postvention efforts, therefore, should be improved to better address survivor care.