Greer Sullivan

Bio: Greer Sullivan is an academic researcher from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The author has contributed to research in topics: Mental health & Anxiety. The author has an hindex of 50, co-authored 138 publications receiving 7574 citations. Previous affiliations of Greer Sullivan include RAND Corporation & University of Arkansas.

Delivery of evidence-based treatment for multiple anxiety disorders in primary care: a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract: {CI}, �3.59 to �1.40], �2.63 [95% CI, �3.73 to �1.54], and �1.63 [95% CI, �2.73 to �0.53] at 6, 12, and 18 months, respectively). At 12 months, response and remission rates (CALM vs UC) were 63.66% (95% CI, 58.95%-68.37%) vs 44.68% (95% CI, 39.76%-49.59%), and 51.49% (95% CI, 46.60%-56.38%) vs 33.28% (95% CI, 28.62%-37.93%), with a number needed to treat of 5.27 (95% CI, 4.18-7.13) for response and 5.50 (95% CI, 4.32-7.55) for remission. Conclusion For patients with anxiety disorders treated in primary care clinics, CALM compared with UC resulted in greater improvement in anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, functional disability, and quality of care during 18 months of follow-up.

Implementation of the CALM intervention for anxiety disorders: a qualitative study.

Abstract: Investigators recently tested the effectiveness of a collaborative-care intervention for anxiety disorders: Coordinated Anxiety Learning and Management(CALM) []) in 17 primary care clinics around the United States. Investigators also conducted a qualitative process evaluation. Key research questions were as follows: (1) What were the facilitators/barriers to implementing CALM? (2) What were the facilitators/barriers to sustaining CALM after the study was completed? Key informant interviews were conducted with 47 clinic staff members (18 primary care providers, 13 nurses, 8 clinic administrators, and 8 clinic staff) and 14 study-trained anxiety clinical specialists (ACSs) who coordinated the collaborative care and provided cognitive behavioral therapy. The interviews were semistructured and conducted by phone. Data were content analyzed with line-by-line analyses leading to the development and refinement of themes. Similar themes emerged across stakeholders. Important facilitators to implementation included the perception of "low burden" to implement, provider satisfaction with the intervention, and frequent provider interaction with ACSs. Barriers to implementation included variable provider interest in mental health, high rates of part-time providers in clinics, and high social stressors of lower socioeconomic-status patients interfering with adherence. Key sustainability facilitators were if a clinic had already incorporated collaborative care for another disorder and presence of onsite mental health staff. The main barrier to sustainability was funding for the ACS. The CALM intervention was relatively easy to incorporate during the effectiveness trial, and satisfaction was generally high. Numerous implementation and sustainability barriers could limit the reach and impact of widespread adoption. Findings should be interpreted with the knowledge that the ACSs in this study were provided and trained by the study. Future research should explore uptake of CALM and similar interventions without the aid of an effectiveness trial.

Empirical Studies of Self-Stigma Reduction Strategies: A Critical Review of the Literature

Abstract: Self-stigma is the harm that occurs when a person internalizes the prejudices embodied in public stigma. A review of current research on self-stigma reduction strategies identified two prominent approaches: interventions to alter the individual's stigmatizing beliefs and attitudes and interventions that enhance skills for coping with self-stigma through improvements in self-esteem, empowerment, and help seeking. The second approach seems to have gained traction among experts.

A Randomized Effectiveness Trial of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Medication for Primary Care Panic Disorder

Abstract: Objective: To implement and test the effectiveness of a combined pharmacotherapy and cognitive-behavioral intervention for panic disorder tailored to the primary care setting. Design: Randomized, controlled study comparing intervention to treatment as usual. Setting: Six primary care clinics associated with 3 university medical schools, serving an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse patient population. Participants: Two hundred thirty-two primary care patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for panic disorder. Comorbid mental and physical disorders were permitted, provided these did not contraindicate the treatment to be provided and were not acutely life threatening. Intervention: Patients were randomized to receive either treatment as usual or an intervention consisting of a combination of up to 6 sessions (across 12 weeks) of cognitivebehavioral therapy (CBT) modified for the primary care setting, with up to 6 follow-up telephone contacts during the next 9 months, and algorithm-based pharmacotherapy provided by the primary care physician with guidance from a psychiatrist. Behavioral health specialists, the majority inexperienced in CBT for panic disorder, were trained to deliver the CBT and coordinated overall care, including pharmacotherapy. Main Outcomes Measures: Proportion of subjects remitted (no panic attacks in the past month, minimal anticipatory anxiety, and agoraphobia subscale score 10 on Fear Questionnaire) and responding (Anxiety Sensitivity Index score 20) and change over time in World Health Organization Disability Scale and short form 12 scores. Results: The combined cognitive-behavioral and pharmacotherapeutic intervention resulted in sustained and gradually increasing improvement relative to treatment as usual, with significantly higher rates at all points of both the proportion of subjects remitted (3 months, 20% vs 12%; 12 months, 29% vs 16%) and responding (3 months, 46% vs 27%; 12 months, 63% vs 38%) and significantly greater improvements in World Health Organization Disability Scale (all points) and short form 12 mental health functioning (3 and 6 months) scores. These effects were obtained in spite of similar rates of delivery of guideline-concordant pharmacotherapy to the 2 groups. Conclusion: Delivery of evidence-based CBT and medication using the collaborative care model and a CBTnaive, midlevel behavioral health specialist is feasible and significantly more effective than usual care for primary care panic disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005;62:290-298

Anxiety Disorders in Primary Care: Prevalence, Impairment, Comorbidity, and Detection

Abstract: Anxiety is as common as depression; however, it has received less attention and is often undetected and undertreated. The authors administered a 7-item anxiety scale to 965 primary care patients, w...

Validation and Standardization of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7) in the General Population

Abstract: Background:The 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) is a practical self-report anxiety questionnaire that proved valid in primary care. However, the GAD-7 was not yet validated in the general population and thus far, normative data are not available.Objectives:To investigate reliability