Older Adults and Hearing Help-Seeking Behaviors

PURPOSE: To review the current literature on help seeking for hearing health care among older adults.METHOD: The authors conducted a literature review regarding help seeking for hearing-related communication difficulties as well as for other chronic medical conditions.RESULTS: Untreated hearing loss can lead to numerous negative secondary consequences; uptake and use of hearing aids remain low, despite the fact that hearing aids provide an effective treatment option for older adults with hearing loss. The authors describe models relevant to understanding the help-seeking and decision-making behaviors of older adults with hearing loss and discuss recommendations for future research.CONCLUSION: Because of the considerable overlap in factors associated with help-seeking behaviors across chronic medical conditions and because help-seeking behaviors are complex, help seeking should be examined within the framework of a multifactorial model, such as the health belief model or the transtheoretical stages of change model.</p

Characteristics of a Treatment-Seeking Population in Outpatient Addiction Treatment Centers in Mexico

Background: Baseline patients' characteristics are critical for treatment planning, as these can be moderators of treatment effects. In Mexico, information on treatment seekers with substance use disorders is scarce and limited to demographic characteristics. Objective: This paper presents and analyses demographic characteristics, substance use related problems, clinical features, and addiction severity in a sample of treatment seekers from the first multi-site randomized clinical trial implemented in the Mexican Clinical Trials Network on Addiction and Mental Health. Methods: A total of 120 participants were assessed prior randomization. Chi square or F-tests were used to compare sites across variables. Spearman correlation was used to associate negative consequences of substance use and motivation to change. Results: The majority of participants were men, and the most prevalent substances reported were alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine. Participants were predominantly on the contemplation or action stage of change, and this was correlated with the perception of the negative consequences associated with substance use. Participants reported a high prevalence of substance use related problems. Conclusions: Substance use related problems, clinical features, and addiction severity reported by treatment seekers are important characteristics to take into account when planning treatment as they facilitate tailoring treatment to meet patients' needs