Behavioral Activation + Occupational Therapy: An Innovative Intervention for Empowered Self-Management of Multiple Chronic Conditions
University of Oklahoma
Summary
Approximately 45% of older adults in the U.S. have 2 or more chronic health conditions (e.g., arthritis, hypertension, diabetes) in addition to functional limitations that prevent performance of health self-management activities. Self-management continues to be the gold standard for managing MCC, but functional limitations create difficulty with these activities (e.g., physical activity, symptom monitoring). Restricted self-management accelerates the downward spiral of disability and accumulating chronic conditions which, in turn, increases rates of institutionalization and death by 5-fold. Currently, there are no tested interventions designed to improve independence in health self-management activities in older adults with MCC and functional limitations. Research suggests that older adults are more likely to change behavior with interventions that assist with planning health-promoting daily activities, especially when contending with complex medical regimens and functional limitations. Combined with occupational therapy (OT), behavioral activation (BA) shows promise to improve health self-management in populations with chronic conditions and/or functional limitations. This innovative combination uses the goal setting, scheduling/monitoring activities, and problem-solving components of the BA approach as well as the environmental modification, activity adaptation, and focus on daily routines from OT practice. The investigators will test the effect of this combined approach in a Stage I, randomized controlled pilot feasibility study compared to enhanced usual care. The investigators will recruit 40 older adults with MCC and functional limitation and randomize 20 to the PI- delivered BA-OT protocol. This research will inform modification and larger-scale testing of this novel intervention and provide data for a federally funded career development award.
Description
Americans with multiple chronic health conditions (MCC) are living longer lives, but there is a costly tradeoff. Approximately 81% of older adults in the U.S. have 2 or more health conditions (e.g., arthritis, hypertension, diabetes) that are long-term and cumulative. For these older adults, there are direct and positive relationships among age, higher number of chronic conditions, and higher incidence of disability and functional limitations. Because functional limitations interfere with daily health self-management activities (e.g., physical activity, managing medications, preparing healthy…