Recruiting Anxious Older Adults for a Psychotherapy Outcome Study

Although anxiety is a serious problem among the elderly, very little research has been conducted with anxious older adults. One reason is that although anxiety disorders overall are more common than depression in older community samples, many specific anxiety disorders are relatively rare. Furthermore, anxious older adults often do not seek treatment or otherwise come to the attention of mental health researchers. This paper describes the first year of recruitment efforts for a treatment outcome study of psychotherapy for generalized anxiety disorder in adults at least 55 years old. Successful methods included collaborations with hospital-based health education programs and senior centers, as well as notices in local and senior newspapers. Less successful methods included radio public service announcements and mailings to residential facilities, churches and synagogues, and physicians. Recommendations for recruitment of anxious older adults into research projects are discussed.     

Barriers to Computerized Career Interventions in Community Outreach Centers

This study used a survey design to investigate if computer experience and computer attitudes influence whether economically marginalized individuals desire access to computerized career services in community outreach centers. The majority (84%) of the sample reported a desire for access to computerized career services at community outreach centers. A multiple regression analysis indicated computer attitudes as most predictive of intention to use computerized career services (β = .29, p < .01). Results support extending access to computerized career services in community outreach centers to meet the needs of economically marginalized individuals.     

Short versus longer term effectiveness of an outreach program for the homeless mentally Ill

Presents 12-month follow-up results from an outreach/linkage intervention with persons who are homeless and mentally ill, contrasting these with results obtained at 4 months. Both sets reflect the success of the program in placing individuals in independent housing. However, longer term data provide useful information regarding client movement patterns and increased tenure in nonhomeless living arrangements beyond the termination of specialized services. Analyses of 12-month residential outcomes identified four variables as significant predictors: recruitment source, project service duration, CMH service duration, and client age. In contrast to 4-month predictors, variables reflecting baseline client functioning were no longer significantly related to outcome, suggesting that the positive effects of the intervention may take longer to achieve with some clients. Discussion focuses on the implications of these effectiveness results for future research designs and measures as well as the utility and limitations of preexperimental approaches for evaluating innovative service models when implementation and efficacy experiences are lacking. This research was supported in part by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, #H87 MH44373, to the Michigan Department of Mental Health.