UNASSIGNED: Uterine and Cervical cancer survivors face challenges like the disruption of emotional and sexual relationships, struggle to maintain sexual life and intimacy, and the possibility of divorce. The study aimed to determine the effect of group counseling based on couples\' constructive communication on perceived spousal support in uterine and cervical cancer survivors.
UNASSIGNED: A randomized controlled trial on 40 women who survived uterine and cervical cancer were recruited using convenience sampling and then randomly allocated to a couple-based constructive communication intervention group and a routine cancer center care control group from June 2019 to March 2020 in Motahhari and Imam Khomeini hospitals in Urmia. The intervention group was involved in a group counseling session weekly for 5 weeks, regarding constructive couple communication skills. Perceived spouse support was assessed using the sources of social support scale which has 4 subscales informational, instrumental, emotional, and negative support before and one week after the end of the intervention in both groups. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 24 through Independent and paired t-tests, Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon, chi-square, and ANCOVA. P value<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
UNASSIGNED: The effect of the intervention was statistically significant in reducing negative support in the intervention group (2.70±0.80) in comparison with the control group (3.40±1.04) (P=0.03). It was also statistically significant in increasing informational support (3.45±0.71 vs. 2.15±0.80, P<0.001), instrumental support (3.15±0.58 vs. 2.85±0.74, P<0.001), and emotional support (19.40±1.60 vs. 16.10±2.10, P<0.001).
UNASSIGNED: Group counseling based on couple constructive communication increased perceived spousal support in uterine and cervical cancer survivors. Trial Registration Number: IRCT20150125020778N22.

UNASSIGNED: Dental fear and anxiety are important issues in the practice of pediatric dentistry because they interfere with both the provision and receipt of dental care in children and adolescents. Behavior guidance is a dynamic part of child management. It starts from the preappointment level, where a negative attitude of the mother will be trained to become positive for improved child behavior in the pediatric dental clinic. The use of anticipatory guidance (AG) as parental counseling, where the information on what the parents should follow before their child\'s dental appointment was provided to the mothers.
UNASSIGNED: To assess the effect of preappointment parental counseling on dental fear and anxiety in children.
UNASSIGNED: The study was a randomized, parallel-group, active-controlled trial, wherein the dyad of mother and child was randomly divided into two groups: (1) the test group and (2) the control group. At baseline, fear and anxiety assessment was done using fear and anxiety assessment scales and physiological parameters in both groups. Dental fear and anxiety were assessed using the children fear survey schedule dental subscale, Venham pictorial test in children and state-trait anxiety subscale in mothers. Parental counseling instructions were given verbally, in written format and by videos only in the test group on the same day of the initial appointment. The same subjects in both groups were checked for fear and anxiety scales and physiological parameters after 6 months from the first appointment. The effectiveness of parental counseling on dental fear and anxiety was correlated at the end of the study.
UNASSIGNED: The mean dental fear and anxiety scores between the test and control groups at baseline and at 6 months were compared using the Chi-squared test. Chi-squared test was used to compare the dental fear and anxiety in children and mothers in the study and control groups. Spearman\'s rank correlation test was used to assess the relationship between Children\'s Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS), Venham Picture Test (VPT), state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) scores, and clinical parameters in the study and control group of both populations.
UNASSIGNED: The results showed that there was a significant improvement in the dental fear and anxiety levels in the dyads of mother and child postcounseling. The control group scores did not show any significant change.
UNASSIGNED: Preappointment parental counseling clarified and guided parents about the child\'s fear and anxiety and was effective in alleviating the dental fear and anxiety among parents and children attending pediatric dental clinics.
UNASSIGNED: R R, Sathyaprasad S, S N, et al. Assessment of Preappointment Parental Counseling on Dental Fear and Anxiety in Children in Pedodontic Dental Operatory: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(3):346-351.

OBJECTIVE: Palliative care patients experience chronic sorrow with loss in dignity and meaning in life. Logotherapy is an effective way to cope with loss. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of logotherapy on chronic sorrow, dignity, and meaning in life of palliative care patients.
METHODS: This study was conducted with 58 adults hospitalized due to advanced cancer and assigned to either intervention or control group by simple randomization. Data were collected with descriptive information form, Palliative Performance Scale, Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI), Prolonged Grief Disorder Scale-Patient Form (PGDS-PF), and Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MIL) on admission, at the 4th and 8th weeks. The intervention group received eight sessions of logotherapy. The control group received routine care.
RESULTS: The mean scores of PGDS-PF (p = 0.01), PDI (p = 0.01), and searched meaning subdimension of MIL (MIL-SM) (p = 0.11) decreased in the intervention group compared to controls, both at the 4th and 8th week evaluation. The mean score of the present meaning subdimension of MIL (MIL-PM) (p = 0.02) increased at the 4th week evaluation but decreased at a non-statistically significant level at the 8th week. The mean scores of PGDS-PF and PDI increased in the control group while MIL-PM and MIL-SM decreased, both at the 4th and 8th week evaluation.
CONCLUSIONS: Logotherapy was found effective in decreasing the sorrow and dignity-related distress of palliative care patients, while increasing finding meaning in life. Logotherapy is recommended to be used by palliative care professionals to empower patients.
BACKGROUND: Clinicaltrials registration number and date: NCT05129059, 19/01/2021.

BACKGROUND: Depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and alcohol/substance use disorders are prevalent among people with HIV (PWH), commonly co-occur, and predict worse HIV care outcomes. Transdiagnostic counseling approaches simultaneously address multiple co-occurring mental health disorders.
METHODS: We conducted a pilot individually randomized trial of the Common Elements Treatment Approach adapted for people with HIV (CETA-PWH), a transdiagnostic counseling intervention, compared with usual care at a large academic medical center in the southern United States. Participants were adults with HIV; at risk for HIV care disengagement; and with elevated symptoms of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and/or alcohol/substance use. Mental health and HIV care engagement were assessed at 4 and 9 months.
RESULTS: Among participants (n = 60), follow-up was high at 4 (92%) and 9 (85%) months. Intervention engagement was challenging: 93% attended ≥1 session, 43% attended ≥6 sessions in 3 months (\"moderate dose\"), and 30% completed treatment. Although not powered for effectiveness, mental health outcomes and HIV appointment attendance improved in CETA-PWH relative to usual care in intent-to-treat analyses; those receiving a moderate dose and completers showed progressively greater improvement. Viral load showed small differences between arms. The dose-response pattern was not explained by differences between those who did and did not complete treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: This pilot trial provides preliminary evidence for the potential of CETA-PWH to simultaneously address co-occurring mental health comorbidities and support HIV appointment attendance among PWH. Additional strategies may be an important part of ensuring that clients can engage in the full course of treatment and realize its full benefits.

OBJECTIVE: Cancer is a life threatening disease with negative impact on quality of life and psychological well-being. In international studies, one-to-one peer support and counseling have been shown to improve the psychological well-being of cancer patients. In the study presented, we developed and evaluated an innovative program of peer-coaching. In this program at the University Hospital of Freiburg, cancer survivors were trained to support peers by sharing experience.
METHODS: In the project, N = 25 cancer survivors were trained to conduct supportive one-to-one conversations with acute patients or patients in aftercare. Based on a prospective observational study, patients were interviewed using questionnaires before and after the conversations. We assessed expectations and experiences with the peer-coaching as well as psychosocial parameters (PHQ9, GAD7, SSUK, NCCN-distress thermometer).
RESULTS: A total of 52 patients had at least one contact with a peer-coach. Most of the patients attended 1-3 sessions. In total, 85 contacts pairing peer-coaches with patients were conducted. Patients showed on average a high level of distress but a low rate of psychiatric comorbidity. The supportive conversations met the patients` needs. Sharing experiences and empowerment were the most relevant benefits for the patients. Both patients and trained peers showed high satisfaction levels with the program.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the feasibility and utility of a peer-coaching program in which trained cancer survivors, acting as peer-coaches, support other patients during or after their oncological treatment. In a further study, the efficacy of peer-coaching should be investigated based on a randomized-controlled trial.
BACKGROUND: The trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (No. DRKS DRKS00017500) on 12.12.2019.

BACKGROUND: Due to the increasing number of persons with dementia, the need for family and professional support is growing. Counselling services aim to support family dementia caregivers and the use of information and communication technology may improve accessibility to counselling. The effectiveness of technology-based counselling in dementia remains unclear so far. Few randomised controlled trials have been conducted assessing heterogeneous outcomes. Theoretical underpinnings for the development and evaluation of these complex interventions were lacking in most cases. We therefore aim to formulate an initial programme theory of a technology-assisted counselling intervention for family dementia caregivers and to create the data basis for the consensus process of a core outcome set.
METHODS: The methodological approaches for developing a programme theory and a core outcome set will be integrated. In a scoping review, data on the characteristics, theoretical foundations of counselling interventions and outcomes of clinical studies will be collected. The lifeworld perception of relevant stakeholders on the importance of counselling in family caregiving will be explored in a phenomenological substudy using semistructured interviews. The synthesis of data from the literature review and the qualitative substudy will be performed by developing a logic model. Mechanisms of action and assumed causal relationships are explicated in the elements of programme theory (theory of change, outcomes chain and theory of action). An initial programme theory is then formulated. In addition, a \'long list\' of outcomes and assessment instruments will be compiled.
BACKGROUND: The ethics committee of the Medical Faculty of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg approved the study protocol (no. 2023-093).Findings will be reported to participants and the funding organisation and disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and at national and international conferences.
BACKGROUND: The ProCOS (Development and evaluation of a technology-assissted counselling intervention for family caregivers of persons with dementia - Programme theory and preparation of a core outcome set) project is registered with the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials initiative (https://www.comet-initiative.org/Studies/Details/2884).

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking poses a major public health risk. Chatbots may serve as an accessible and useful tool to promote cessation due to their high accessibility and potential in facilitating long-term personalized interactions. To increase effectiveness and acceptability, there remains a need to identify and evaluate counseling strategies for these chatbots, an aspect that has not been comprehensively addressed in previous research.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify effective counseling strategies for such chatbots to support smoking cessation. In addition, we sought to gain insights into smokers\' expectations of and experiences with the chatbot.
METHODS: This mixed methods study incorporated a web-based experiment and semistructured interviews. Smokers (N=229) interacted with either a motivational interviewing (MI)-style (n=112, 48.9%) or a confrontational counseling-style (n=117, 51.1%) chatbot. Both cessation-related (ie, intention to quit and self-efficacy) and user experience-related outcomes (ie, engagement, therapeutic alliance, perceived empathy, and interaction satisfaction) were assessed. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 16 participants, 8 (50%) from each condition, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
RESULTS: Results from a multivariate ANOVA showed that participants had a significantly higher overall rating for the MI (vs confrontational counseling) chatbot. Follow-up discriminant analysis revealed that the better perception of the MI chatbot was mostly explained by the user experience-related outcomes, with cessation-related outcomes playing a lesser role. Exploratory analyses indicated that smokers in both conditions reported increased intention to quit and self-efficacy after the chatbot interaction. Interview findings illustrated several constructs (eg, affective attitude and engagement) explaining people\'s previous expectations and timely and retrospective experience with the chatbot.
CONCLUSIONS: The results confirmed that chatbots are a promising tool in motivating smoking cessation and the use of MI can improve user experience. We did not find extra support for MI to motivate cessation and have discussed possible reasons. Smokers expressed both relational and instrumental needs in the quitting process. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

BACKGROUND: With the rise of computer science and artificial intelligence, analyzing large data sets promises enormous potential in gaining insights for developing and improving evidence-based health interventions. One such intervention is the counseling strategy motivational interviewing (MI), which has been found effective in improving a wide range of health-related behaviors. Despite the simplicity of its principles, MI can be a challenging skill to learn and requires expertise to apply effectively.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the performance of artificial intelligence models in classifying MI behavior and explore the feasibility of using these models in online helplines for mental health as an automated support tool for counselors in clinical practice.
METHODS: We used a coded data set of 253 MI counseling chat sessions from the 113 Suicide Prevention helpline. With 23,982 messages coded with the MI Sequential Code for Observing Process Exchanges codebook, we trained and evaluated 4 machine learning models and 1 deep learning model to classify client- and counselor MI behavior based on language use.
RESULTS: The deep learning model BERTje outperformed all machine learning models, accurately predicting counselor behavior (accuracy=0.72, area under the curve [AUC]=0.95, Cohen κ=0.69). It differentiated MI congruent and incongruent counselor behavior (AUC=0.92, κ=0.65) and evocative and nonevocative language (AUC=0.92, κ=0.66). For client behavior, the model achieved an accuracy of 0.70 (AUC=0.89, κ=0.55). The model\'s interpretable predictions discerned client change talk and sustain talk, counselor affirmations, and reflection types, facilitating valuable counselor feedback.
CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate that artificial intelligence techniques can accurately classify MI behavior, indicating their potential as a valuable tool for enhancing MI proficiency in online helplines for mental health. Provided that the data set size is sufficiently large with enough training samples for each behavioral code, these methods can be trained and applied to other domains and languages, offering a scalable and cost-effective way to evaluate MI adherence, accelerate behavioral coding, and provide therapists with personalized, quick, and objective feedback.

BACKGROUND: This study is a cost-effectiveness study of two implementation strategies designed to train therapists in college and university counseling centers to deliver interpersonal psychotherapy. Costs of implementing a train-the-trainer (TTT) strategy versus an expert consultation strategy were estimated, and their relative effects upon therapist outcomes were calculated and compared.
METHODS: Twenty four counseling centers were recruited across the United States. These centers were randomized to either a TTT (experimental) condition, in which an in-house therapist trained other center therapists, or an expert consultation condition, in which center therapists participated in a workshop and received 12 months of ongoing supervision. The main outcome was therapist fidelity (adherence and competence) to interpersonal psychotherapy, assessed via audio recordings of therapy sessions, and analyzed using linear mixed models. Costs of each condition were quantified using time-driven activity-based costing methods, and involved a costing survey administered to center directors, follow up interviews and validation checks, and comparison of time tracking logs of trainers in the expert condition. Mean costs to produce one therapist were obtained for each condition. The costs to produce equivalent improvements in therapist-level outcomes were then compared between the two conditions.
RESULTS: Mean cost incurred by counseling centers to train one therapist using the TTT strategy was $3,407 (median = $3,077); mean cost to produce one trained therapist in the control condition was $2,055 (median = $1,932). Therapists in the TTT condition, on average, demonstrated a 0.043 higher adherence score compared to therapists in the control condition; however, this difference was not statistically significant. For the competence outcome, effect size for therapists in the TTT condition was in the large range (1.16; 95% CI: 0.85-1.46; p < .001), and therapists in this condition, on average, demonstrated a 0.073 higher competence score compared to those in the expert consultation condition (95% CI, 0.008-0.14; p = .03). Counseling centers that used the TTT model incurred $353 less in training costs to produce equivalent improvements in therapist competence.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite its higher short run costs, the TTT implementation strategy produces greater increases in therapist competence when compared to expert consultation. Expanding resources to support this platform for service delivery can be an effective way to enhance the mental health care of young people seeking care in college and university counseling centers.
BACKGROUND: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02079142.

Obesity stands out as a primary risk factor for diabetes. Attaining healthy weight loss, especially reducing body fat, is important in managing prediabetes and preventing progression to full diabetes and its co-morbidities. This study examined the effects of personalized nutrition therapy (PNT) combined with continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) on body weight and composition in individuals with prediabetes. A total of 30 individuals with prediabetes who were overweight or obese were assigned randomly to either the treatment, observed CGM data plus PNT, or the control group which was blinded to their blood glucose results throughout the study. Both groups were provided with dietary recommendations for calorie intake and macronutrient distribution, coupled with personalized goal setting for glucose control and healthy eating, without any specific emphasis on weight reduction or changes in physical activity. Regular visits were scheduled every 10 days to perform measurements and replace CGMs. Data were analyzed using General Linear Model with repeated measures. Over the 30-day follow-up period, both groups experienced significant reductions in weight and fat mass. The treatment group exhibited two-fold greater reductions in both weight and fat mass, a significant decrease in carbohydrate intake, and a significant increase in time spent on physical activitycompared to the control group. In addition, compliance was notably higher in the treatment group. These findings indicate that overweight or obese individuals with prediabetes can achieve weight loss and improved body composition through personalized education for glucose control, without exclusively emphasizing weight loss as the primary objective. Additionally, the real-time feedback provided by CGM enhances these improvements.