The present study examined whether nonconscious priming could increase an individual's willingness to disclose personal experiences and thoughts to a stranger. Fifty volunteers between 18 and 35 years old were randomly assigned to one of two priming conditions. Group disclosure (n = 25) unscrambled sentences containing disclosure-related words and gave ratings to self-descriptive statements emphasizing their willingness to talk to others. Group nondisclosure (n = 25) was exposed to words and statements expressing a lack of willingness to talk to others. Following priming, both groups were asked to write two essays focused on recent personal experiences and self-reflections. Compared to group nondisclosure, group disclosure wrote significantly longer essays with significantly more statements of feelings. Both participants and researchers were blind to group assignment, and none of the participants expressed awareness of the priming manipulation during debriefing. These results demonstrate that priming can significantly increase an individual's willingness to self-disclose upon request.

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Treating pain in later life is complex, and there are significant safety risks associated with the use of analgesics, particularly opioids. This study examined preliminary results from a pilot study of a telephone-delivered collaborative care service designed for community-dwelling older adults with chronic pain receiving prescriptions for high doses of opioids (i.e., >120 mg morphine-equivalent dose). Eighty-two older adults referred by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s pharmaceutical assistance program for low-income seniors (PACE/PACENET) were eligible and enrolled in the program (i.e., the University of Pennsylvania/PACE Behavioral Health Laboratory). Patients were on average 73.5 (+/-6.1) years old, and the majority were white (91%) and female (70%). Patients completed a comprehensive baseline clinical assessment capturing their mental health, cognition, pain and functional status, as well as self-reported daily opioid dose and biopsychosocial needs. Patients were considered engaged in the program if they completed 2+ additional follow-up contacts with a care manager. During these contacts, care managers offered individualized treatment planning, with the goal of opioid dose reduction to safer levels. Of the 82 patients completing the baseline, 53 (65%) engaged in the program. At their last clinical contact, 91% of engaged patients achieved dose reductions (with 66% achieving dose reductions of >20% and 30% reporting doses <120 mg morphine-equivalent dose). Engaged patients also reported significant reductions in pain severity (p=0.05) and depressive symptoms (p=0.003) at the last contact relative to baseline. Findings support the feasibility of a community-based, collaborative care model for pain management and suggest the potential for positive treatment outcomes.

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