Substance Abuse and Mental Health/May 2012
Westat assesses the impact of behavioral health issues and how to address those challenges.
Does a Gender Focus Improve Treatment Outcomes?
For the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Westat evaluated the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and cost-benefit of gender-sensitive programming for women in mixed-gender substance abuse treatment settings in Washington State.
Westat conducted site visits to mixed-gender, short-term residential programs to interview key staff and women clients. We then preformed secondary analyses of de-identified administrative records data for all clients admitted to the selected programs. We analyzed demographic and psychosocial data from various sources for 2 years before and after treatment.
PATH: How Regulating Tobacco Products Affects Behavior and Health
The 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act authorized the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate the advertising, labeling, and ingredients of tobacco products, to influence Americans’ risk perceptions, exposures, and use, and to achieve long-term reduction in tobacco-related illness and death.
To support the FDA and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Westat and its team of pre-eminent tobacco researchers are conducting the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, a national longitudinal study of tobacco users and non-users, whose central component is a long-term, annual panel survey of 42,700 adults and 16,600 youths aged 12-17. Various biospecimens will be collected from the adults. Westat, with its partners, will also conduct a range of ancillary research on topics critical to advancing tobacco control and regulatory science. By measuring the behavioral and health effects associated with tobacco product regulations, PATH will provide empirical evidence for developing, implementing, and evaluating regulations.
Evaluating a Framework to Stem Substance Abuse
For the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), in an interagency agreement with the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), Westat is conducting an evaluation of the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF-SIG) program. The evaluation is assessing the extent to which alcohol, tobacco, illicit drug use, or prescription abuse can be prevented or reduced by influencing state and local prevention systems and by encouraging the use of evidence-based approaches.
The SPF SIG initiative provided funding to 450 grantees in 26 states and territories to achieve three goals: (1) prevent the onset and reduce the progression of substance abuse, including childhood and underage drinking; (2) reduce substance abuse-related problems in communities; and (3) build prevention capacity and infrastructure at the state and community levels.
On-Call Support to SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services
For SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), Westat is providing business operations and consultation support services for the CMHS Director’s Office. We consult on program development, execution of program requirements, support strategies, and document development, including writing, formatting, and editing. Our team includes a roster of 40 nationally recognized expert consultants in a broad range of behavioral health issues.
Tasks have included preparing a draft report to Congress, reviewing a major child trauma program initiative, assessing the evidence base supporting mental health and substance abuse treatment services, and reviewing business operations associated with issuing grants and contracts. Westat’s team includes four mental health specialty organizations, all of whom collaborate to support CMHS.
Serious Mental Illness: What Treatments Help Employment Outcomes?
The Mental Health Treatment Study, conducted for the Social Security Administration, evaluated the impact that access to treatment and employment support services would have on outcomes. These outcomes included medical recovery, functioning, employment, and overall satisfaction with life for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries with a primary impairment of schizophrenia or affective disorder.
Westat examined the advantages and disadvantages of providing SSDI beneficiaries with access to high quality services designed to improve their employment outcomes. The services included systematic medication management, the services of nurse-care coordinators to coordinate participants’ physical and mental health therapies, and the services of supported employment specialists trained in the individual placement and support model.
Integrating Mental/Substance Use Disorder Services into Primary Care
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Academy for Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care will function as a coordinating center and a national resource for people committed to the availability of health care that integrates mental health and substance use treatment with primary care.
Nearly half of all Americans will experience a mental or substance use disorder sometime in their lives, and most will go to their primary care doctor for care. The Academy’s aim is to work to make better behavioral health care accessible in the primary care setting. The Academy will support the collection, analysis, synthesis, and dissemination of actionable information to policymakers, researchers, providers, and consumers.
Westat will support the National Integration Academy Council composed of leaders across disciplines who share an interest in integrated care. We will also develop a web portal to support networking, collaboration, and information dissemination for the Academy.
NESARC-III: Connecting the Dots Between Alcohol Use and Other Disorders
For the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA), Westat is conducting the National Epidemiologic Surveys on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III), a national, in-person survey that examines alcohol-related attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors among approximately 46,500 adults. The survey instrument also measures a broad range of emotional conditions associated with alcohol use and abuse. In addition to respondents' self-reports, the NESARC-III collects DNA samples (saliva) from all respondents.
With the final data set, researchers will gain more knowledge, helping to advance treatment interventions related to alcohol use.