The PRogram In Support of Moms (PRISM): study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial of two active interventions addressing perinatal depression in obstetric settings.

Background: Perinatal depression, the most common pregnancy complication, is associated with negative maternal-offspring outcomes. Despite existence of effective treatments, it is under-recognized and under-treated. Professional organizations recommend universal screening, yet multi-level barriers exist to ensuring effective diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.

Infants Exposed To Homelessness: Health, Health Care Use, And Health Spending From Birth To Age Six.

Homeless infants are known to have poor birth outcomes, but the longitudinal impact of homelessness on health, health care use, and health spending during the early years of life has received little attention. Linking Massachusetts emergency shelter enrollment records for the period 2008-15 with Medicaid claims, we compared 5,762 infants who experienced a homeless episode with a group of 5,553 infants matched on sex, race/ethnicity, location, and birth month. Infants born during a period of unstable housing resulting in homelessness had higher rates of low birthweight, respiratory problems, fever, and other common conditions; longer neonatal intensive care unit stays; more emergency department visits; and higher annual spending.

Homelessness Contributes To Pregnancy Complications.

Homelessness during pregnancy poses significant health risks for mothers and infants. As health care providers increase their emphasis on social determinants of health, it is important to understand how unstable housing contributes to complications during pregnancy. We linked data about emergency shelter enrollees with Massachusetts Medicaid claims for the period January 1, 2008-June 30, 2015 to compare health care use and pregnancy complications for 9,124 women who used emergency shelter with those for 8,757 similar women who did not.

Health Care Utilization and Expenditures of Homeless Family Members Before and After Emergency Housing.

Objectives: To describe longitudinal health service utilization and expenditures for homeless family members before and after entering an emergency shelter.

Methods: We linked Massachusetts emergency housing assistance data with Medicaid claims between July 2008 and June 2015, constructing episodes of health care 12 months before and 12 months after families entered a shelter. We modeled emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and expenditures over the 24-month period separately for children and adults.

How obstetric settings can help address gaps in psychiatric care for pregnant and postpartum women with bipolar disorder.

To elucidate (1) the challenges associated with under-recognition of bipolar disorder in obstetric settings, (2) barriers pregnant and postpartum women with bipolar disorder face when trying to access psychiatric care, and (3) how obstetric settings can identify such women and connect them with mental health services. Structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 25 pregnant and postpartum women recruited from obstetric practices who scored ≥ 10 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and met DSM-IV criteria for bipolar disorder I, II, or not otherwise specified using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Quantitative analyses included descriptive statistics.

Postpartum outcomes of a pilot prenatal care-based psychosocial intervention for PTSD during pregnancy.

This study examines postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and secondary outcomes including postpartum depression and birth outcomes for pregnant women who screened positive for PTSD and received a psychosocial education intervention compared to women with PTSD in the usual prenatal care setting. All women entering prenatal care at two federally qualified health centers were screened for symptoms of current PTSD; one site was selected randomly to have prenatal care advocates deliver eight Seeking Safety topics for women with clinical or subclinical PTSD. Women were not blind to condition.

PRogram In Support of Moms (PRISM): a pilot group randomized controlled trial of two approaches to improving depression among perinatal women.

Purpose: This pilot study was designed to inform a larger effectiveness trial by: (1) assessing the feasibility of the PRogram In Support of Moms (PRISM) and our study procedures; and, (2) determining the extent to which PRISM as compared to an active comparison group, the Massachusetts Child Access Psychiatry Program (MCPAP) for Moms alone, improves depression among perinatal women.

Methods: Four practices were randomized to either PRISM or MCPAP for Moms alone, a state-wide telephonic perinatal psychiatry program. PRISM includes MCPAP for Moms plus implementation assistance with local champions, training, and implementation of office prompts and procedures to enhance depression screening, assessment and treatment.

Homeless women's service use, barriers, and motivation for participating in substance use treatment.

Background: Homeless women are at high risk for substance use disorder (SUD), and are a growing proportion of the homeless population. However, homeless women experience barriers to engaging in substance use services.

Objectives: Among homeless women with SUD, to explore service use, motivation to change, service barriers, and willingness to have substance use and mental health problems addressed in primary health care.

Access to Pharmacotherapy Amongst Women with Bipolar Disorder during Pregnancy: a Preliminary Study.

Bipolar disorder among pregnant women has deleterious effects on birth and child outcomes and is currently under-detected, not addressed effectively, or exacerbated through inappropriate treatment. The goal of this study was to identify perspectives of pregnant and postpartum women with bipolar disorder on barriers and facilitators to psychiatric treatment during pregnancy. In-depth interviews were conducted with pregnant and postpartum women who scored ≥ 10 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and met DSM-IV criteria for bipolar disorder I, II or not otherwise specified using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview version 5.

Prevalence and predictors of substance use disorders among homeless women seeking primary care: An 11 site survey.

Background And Objectives: Homeless women have shown high rates of substance use disorders (SUD), but many studies are more than a decade old, limited in geographic location, or focus only on women living outdoors or in shelters. The purpose of this study was to obtain a more current and representative sample of homeless women and the prevalence and predictors of substance use disorders among women seeking primary care at Health Care for the Homeless clinics across the US.

Methods: Eleven Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) clinics in nine states contributed proportionally to a sample of n = 780 female patients who completed a self-administered survey including demographics, housing history, health, mental health, and drug and alcohol use.

Initiation and Engagement with Methadone Treatment among Pregnant and Postpartum Women.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of experiences and challenges with methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) and obstetrical care among pregnant and postpartum women enrolled in a methadone maintenance program.

Research Design: The study featured a grounded theory approach including two focus groups with pregnant and postpartum methadone users at a methadone maintenance clinic in Worcester, Massachusetts. Two research team members conducted and recorded focus groups, which took approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Managing Depression Among Homeless Mothers: Pilot Testing an Adapted Collaborative Care Intervention.

Objective: Although depression is common among homeless mothers, little progress has been made in testing treatment strategies for this group. We describe pilot test results of an adapted collaborative care model for homeless mothers with depression.

Method: We conducted a pilot intervention study of mothers screening positive for depression in 2 randomly selected shelter-based primary care clinics in New York over 18 months in 2010-2012.

Using Prenatal Advocates to Implement a Psychosocial Education Intervention for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder during Pregnancy: Feasibility, Care Engagement, and Predelivery Behavioral Outcomes.

Background: Pregnant women with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) engage in more high-risk behavior and use less prenatal care. Although treating depression in pregnancy is becoming widespread, options for addressing PTSD are few. This study was designed to test the feasibility of implementing a manualized psychosocial PTSD intervention, Seeking Safety, delivered by prenatal advocates.

Using Best-Worst Scaling to Understand Patient Priorities: A Case Example of Papanicolaou Tests for Homeless Women.

Purpose: Best-worst scaling (BWS) is a survey method for assessing individuals' priorities. It identifies the extremes-best and worst items, most and least important factors, biggest and smallest influences-among sets. In this article, we demonstrate an application of BWS in a primary care setting to illustrate its use in identifying patient priorities for services.

Screening for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Prenatal Care: Prevalence and Characteristics in a Low-Income Population.

Objectives Investigate the feasibility of using a brief, 4-item PTSD screening tool (PTSD-PC) as part of routine prenatal care in two community health care settings serving ethnically and linguistically diverse low-income populations. Report prevalence and differences by sub-threshold and clinical levels, in demographic, health, mental health, risk behaviors, and service use. Methods Women were screened as part of their prenatal intake visit over a 2-year period.

Impact of a family medicine resident wellness curriculum: a feasibility study.

Background: Up to 60% of practicing physicians report symptoms of burnout, which often peak during residency. Residency is also a relevant time for habits of self-care and resiliency to be emphasized. A growing literature underscores the importance of this; however, evidence about effective burnout prevention curriculum during residency remains limited.

PRogram In Support of Moms (PRISM): Development and Beta Testing.

Most women with perinatal depression do not receive depression treatment. The authors describe the development and beta testing of a new program, PRogram In Support of Moms (PRISM), to improve treatment of perinatal depression in obstetric practices. A multidisciplinary work group of seven perinatal and behavioral health professionals was convened to design, refine, and beta-test PRISM in an obstetric practice.

Eliminating health disparities: innovative methods to improve cervical cancer screening in a medically underserved population.

Homeless women have disproportionately lower rates of cervical cancer screening and higher rates of cervical cancer. In 2008, only 19% of the homeless women seen by Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) were screened for cervical cancer. To improve screening, BHCHP implemented a 6-part intervention that incorporates point-of-care service, multidisciplinary screening, improved health maintenance forms, population management, process improvement, and increased provider and patient education.

Measuring the Preferences of Homeless Women for Cervical Cancer Screening Interventions: Development of a Best-Worst Scaling Survey.

Objective: Despite having multiple risk factors, women experiencing homelessness are screened for cervical cancer at a lower rate than women in the general US population. We report on the design of a stated preference study to assess homeless women's preferences for cervical cancer screening interventions, to inform efforts to overcome this disparity.

Methods: We conducted focus groups with homeless women (n = 8) on cervical cancer screening decisions and analyzed the data using thematic analysis.

A randomized control trial of a chronic care intervention for homeless women with alcohol use problems.

A clinician-randomized trial was conducted using the chronic care model for disease management for alcohol use problems among n = 82 women served in a health care for the homeless clinic. Women with problem alcohol use received either usual care or an intervention consisting of a primary care provider (PCP) brief intervention, referral to addiction services, and on-going support from a care manager (CM) for 6 months. Both groups significantly reduced their alcohol consumption, with a small effect size favoring intervention at 3 months, but there were no significant differences between groups in reductions in drinking or in housing stability, or mental or physical health.

Homeless women and hazardous drinking: screening results in a primary health care setting.

Background And Objectives: Screening for alcohol use in primary care is underutilized, especially for women. The current study implemented systematic women's alcohol use screening in a health care for the homeless primary care program.

Methods: All women (n=541) seeking care over 12 months were screened.

What happens to mental health treatment during pregnancy? Women's experience with prescribing providers.

This exploratory study completed interviews with 25 depressed pregnant women who had prior depression, and when becoming pregnant, were receiving depression medication or tried to get mental health care. Seventy one percent of women were more than 25 weeks gestation at the time of the interview. Thirty-five percent of women were not receiving treatment.

Five-year trends in women veterans' use of VA maternity benefits, 2008-2012.

Background: An increasing number of young women veterans are returning from war and military service and are seeking reproductive health care from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Many of these women seek maternity benefits from the VHA, and yet little is known regarding the number of women veterans utilizing VHA maternity benefits nor the characteristics of pregnant veterans using these benefits. In May 2010, VHA maternity benefits were expanded to include 7 days of infant care, which may serve to entice more women to use VHA maternity benefits.

Does experiencing homelessness affect women's motivation to change alcohol or drug use?

Background And Objectives: Homeless women are at high risk of drug and alcohol dependence and may receive less opportunity for treatment. Our objective was to examine the association between experiencing homelessness and motivation to change drug or alcohol use.

Methods: Women (n = 154) participants in a study of substance dependence at an urban medical center (69 with some homeless days in the last 90 days; 85 continuously housed at baseline) completed six items rating motivation to change alcohol or drug use (ie, importance, readiness, and confidence) at baseline and in 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up interviews.