Delivery Characteristics, Acceptability, and @entity308 Outcomes of a Home-based XXXX Intervention for Older African Americans: The Get Busy Get Better Program.

@entity1 @entity308
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To facilitate replication, we examined delivery characteristics, acceptability, and @entity308 outcomes of a home-based intervention, Get Busy Get Better, Helping Older Adults Beat the Blues (GBGB). GBGB, previously tested in a randomized trial, reduced @entity308 symptoms and enhanced quality of life in African Americans. DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 208 African Americans aged above 55 years with @entity1 Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scores >= 5 on two subsequent screenings were randomized to receive GBGB immediately or 4 months later. GBGB involves up to 10 home sessions consisting of care management, referral/linkage, @entity308 education/symptom recognition, stress reduction, and behavioral activation. Interventionists recorded delivery characteristics (dose, intensity) and perceived acceptability of sessions. Baseline and post-tests were used to characterize @entity1 and examine associations between dose/intensity and @entity308 scores. @entity1 satisfaction and perceived benefits were examined at 8 months. RESULTS: Of 208 @entity1 , 181 (87%, mean age = 69.6) had treatment data. Of these, 165 (91.2%) had >= 3 treatment sessions (minimal dose). @entity1 had on average 8.1 sessions (SD = 2.6) for an average of 65.4min (SD = 18.3) each. Behavioral activation and care management were provided the most (average of six sessions for average duration = 17.9 and 22.2min per session respectively), although all @entity1 received each treatment component. GBGB was perceived as highly acceptable and beneficial by interventionists and @entity1 . More sessions and time in program were associated with greater symptom reduction. IMPLICATIONS: GBGB treatment components were highly acceptable to @entity1 . Future implementation and sustainability challenges include staffing, training requirements, reimbursement limitations, competing agency programmatic priorities, and generalizability to other groups.
