Osnat C. Melamed
YOU?
Author Swipe
View article: Illicit Drug Use During Travel: A Longitudinal Study of Risk in Emerging Adults
Illicit Drug Use During Travel: A Longitudinal Study of Risk in Emerging Adults Open
International travel by emerging adults is increasingly recognized as a context for experimentation with illicit drugs. This longitudinal study examined predictors of drug use trajectories among 249 young adults traveling to South America …
View article: Testing the Acceptability and Feasibility of a Gender-Informed Smoking Cessation mHealth App for Women: Mixed Methods Approach
Testing the Acceptability and Feasibility of a Gender-Informed Smoking Cessation mHealth App for Women: Mixed Methods Approach Open
Background Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Women who smoke face greater health risks than men, including higher rates of cardiovascular disease and more pronounced declines in lung fun…
View article: Are Digital Health Tools Gender-Inclusive? A Case Study of Smoking Cessation Chatbots
Are Digital Health Tools Gender-Inclusive? A Case Study of Smoking Cessation Chatbots Open
View article: A Gender-Informed Approach for Smoking Cessation Support in Women with Diabetes
A Gender-Informed Approach for Smoking Cessation Support in Women with Diabetes Open
View article: Exploring Practices for Implementing Smoking Cessation in Oncology Settings: A Rapid Systematic Review Update
Exploring Practices for Implementing Smoking Cessation in Oncology Settings: A Rapid Systematic Review Update Open
Introduction Smoking cessation among individuals with cancer increases the effectiveness of cancer treatments and reduces the risks of death. However, individuals receiving cancer treatments in Ontario’s 14 regional cancer centres are prov…
View article: Strengthening the delivery of integrated physical health care for adults experiencing serious mental illness: a scoping review of interventions in mental health settings
Strengthening the delivery of integrated physical health care for adults experiencing serious mental illness: a scoping review of interventions in mental health settings Open
Individuals living with serious mental illness (SMI) face significant barriers to accessing appropriate physical health care, poorer associated health outcomes and premature mortality compared to the general population. This scoping review…
View article: A Fully Generative Motivational Interviewing Counsellor Chatbot for Moving Smokers Towards the Decision to Quit
A Fully Generative Motivational Interviewing Counsellor Chatbot for Moving Smokers Towards the Decision to Quit Open
The conversational capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs) suggest that they may be able to perform as automated talk therapists. It is crucial to know if these systems would be effective and adhere to known standards. We present a co…
View article: Cognitive Dysfunction in the Addictions (CDiA): protocol for a neuron-to-neighbourhood collaborative research program
Cognitive Dysfunction in the Addictions (CDiA): protocol for a neuron-to-neighbourhood collaborative research program Open
Substance use disorders (SUDs), including Alcohol Use Disorder, are pressing global public health problems. Executive functions (EFs) are prominently featured in mechanistic models of addiction. However, significant gaps remain in our unde…
View article: Using the behaviour change wheel framework to develop a rule-based chatbot to support varenicline adherence for smoking cessation
Using the behaviour change wheel framework to develop a rule-based chatbot to support varenicline adherence for smoking cessation Open
Introduction Varenicline is one of the most effective smoking cessation medications; however, non-adherence remains a significant barrier to successful quitting. Conversational agents have the potential to support medication adherence in h…
View article: Technology-Enabled Collaborative Care for Diabetes and Mental Health (TECC-DM): Establishing a treatment care pathway in primary care settings
Technology-Enabled Collaborative Care for Diabetes and Mental Health (TECC-DM): Establishing a treatment care pathway in primary care settings Open
Background: For those living with type 2 diabetes (T2D), mental health issues including distress, anxiety, and depression are common. However, existing models of care require those living with these co-occurring conditions to navigate a fr…
View article: Strengthening the delivery of integrated care for individuals experiencing serious mental illness within mental health settings: a qualitative description of health provider perspectives
Strengthening the delivery of integrated care for individuals experiencing serious mental illness within mental health settings: a qualitative description of health provider perspectives Open
View article: A Fully Generative Motivational Interviewing Counsellor Chatbot for Moving Smokers Towards the Decision to Quit
A Fully Generative Motivational Interviewing Counsellor Chatbot for Moving Smokers Towards the Decision to Quit Open
View article: Understanding primary care provider perspectives of the implementation of an integrated diabetes and mental health care solution
Understanding primary care provider perspectives of the implementation of an integrated diabetes and mental health care solution Open
Aim: This research aimed to explore the perspectives of primary and community care providers on the challenges that hinder the delivery and uptake of personalized type 2 diabetes (T2D) care, with a focus on the integration of mental health…
View article: Participatory Development of a Gender-Specific Smoking Cessation Smartphone App for Women
Participatory Development of a Gender-Specific Smoking Cessation Smartphone App for Women Open
CONTEXT: Women experience lower success rates in quitting smoking compared to men, partly due to gender-related barriers to quitting. The majority of smoking cessation apps are designed in a genderneutral manner, inadvertently contributing…
View article: A Gender-Informed Smoking Cessation App for Women: Protocol for an Acceptability and Feasibility Study
A Gender-Informed Smoking Cessation App for Women: Protocol for an Acceptability and Feasibility Study Open
Background Tobacco smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death and disease among women. Quitting smoking offers numerous health benefits; however, women tend to have less success than men when attempting to quit. This discrepanc…
View article: Developing standards for virtual delivery of mental health services in Canadian primary care: A qualitative study and modified Delphi process
Developing standards for virtual delivery of mental health services in Canadian primary care: A qualitative study and modified Delphi process Open
In Canada, public health measures necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a rapid onset and prolonged, widespread increase in the use of virtual primary care services, including for mental health conditions. Our aim was to develo…
View article: Cognitive Dysfunction in the Addictions (CDiA): A Neuron to Neighbourhood Collaborative Research Program on Executive Dysfunction and Functional Outcomes in Outpatients Seeking Treatment for Addiction
Cognitive Dysfunction in the Addictions (CDiA): A Neuron to Neighbourhood Collaborative Research Program on Executive Dysfunction and Functional Outcomes in Outpatients Seeking Treatment for Addiction Open
Background: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are pressing global public health problems. Executive functions (EFs) are prominently featured in mechanistic models of addiction. However, there remain significant gaps in our understanding of EF…
View article: Technology-Enabled Collaborative Care for Type-2 Diabetes and Mental Health (TECC-D): Findings From a Mixed Methods Feasibility Trial of a Responsive Co-Designed Virtual Health Coaching Intervention
Technology-Enabled Collaborative Care for Type-2 Diabetes and Mental Health (TECC-D): Findings From a Mixed Methods Feasibility Trial of a Responsive Co-Designed Virtual Health Coaching Intervention Open
Introduction: Type-2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex chronic condition associated with a lower quality of life due to disease specific distress. While there is growing support for personalized diabetes programs, care for mental health challeng…
View article: Guidelines and recommendations about virtual mental health services from high-income countries: a rapid review
Guidelines and recommendations about virtual mental health services from high-income countries: a rapid review Open
Objectives This study reviewed existing recommendations for virtual mental healthcare services through the quadruple aim framework to create a set of recommendations on virtual healthcare delivery to guide the development of Canadian polic…
View article: Healthcare providers’ perspectives on implementing a brief physical activity and diet intervention within a primary care smoking cessation program: a qualitative study
Healthcare providers’ perspectives on implementing a brief physical activity and diet intervention within a primary care smoking cessation program: a qualitative study Open
Background Post-smoking-cessation weight gain can be a major barrier to quitting smoking; however, adding behavior change interventions for physical activity (PA) and diet may adversely affect smoking cessation outcomes. The “Picking up th…
View article: Technology-Enabled Collaborative Care for Diabetes and Mental Health (TECC-D): Feasibility and Satisfaction of a Co-Re-Designed Integrated Virtual Care Model
Technology-Enabled Collaborative Care for Diabetes and Mental Health (TECC-D): Feasibility and Satisfaction of a Co-Re-Designed Integrated Virtual Care Model Open
Objective: For individuals living with Type-2 Diabetes (T2D), mental health issues such as distress, anxiety, and depression are common. However, current models of care require those living with T2D and mental health issues to navigate a f…
View article: AI Conversational Agent to Improve Varenicline Adherence: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Feasibility Study
AI Conversational Agent to Improve Varenicline Adherence: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Feasibility Study Open
Background Varenicline is a pharmacological intervention for tobacco dependence that is safe and effective in facilitating smoking cessation. Enhanced adherence to varenicline augments the probability of prolonged smoking abstinence. Howev…
View article: GABAergic signaling in alcohol use disorder and withdrawal: pathological involvement and therapeutic potential
GABAergic signaling in alcohol use disorder and withdrawal: pathological involvement and therapeutic potential Open
Alcohol is one of the most widely used substances. Alcohol use accounts for 5.1% of the global disease burden, contributes substantially to societal and economic costs, and leads to approximately 3 million global deaths yearly. Alcohol use…
View article: AI Conversational Agent to Improve Varenicline Adherence: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Feasibility Study (Preprint)
AI Conversational Agent to Improve Varenicline Adherence: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Feasibility Study (Preprint) Open
BACKGROUND Varenicline is a pharmacological intervention for tobacco dependence that is safe and effective in facilitating smoking cessation. Enhanced adherence to varenicline augments the probability of prolonged smoking abstinence. Howe…
View article: A Motivational Interviewing Chatbot With Generative Reflections for Increasing Readiness to Quit Smoking: Iterative Development Study
A Motivational Interviewing Chatbot With Generative Reflections for Increasing Readiness to Quit Smoking: Iterative Development Study Open
Background The motivational interviewing (MI) approach has been shown to help move ambivalent smokers toward the decision to quit smoking. There have been several attempts to broaden access to MI through text-based chatbots. These typicall…
View article: Augmenting varenicline treatment with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) increases smoking abstinence rates at end of treatment
Augmenting varenicline treatment with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) increases smoking abstinence rates at end of treatment Open
Tobacco smoking relapse is often associated with neuroadaptations such as desensitization of nicotine acetylcholine receptors [[1]Picciotto M.R. Addy N.A. Mineur Y.S. Brunzell D.H. It is not "either/or": activation and desensitization of n…
View article: Diabetes and Mental Health
Diabetes and Mental Health Open
Diabetes mellitus is a disease that takes a heavy toll on the lives of people who have received the diagnosis. For those diagnosed with T1D, it is a major life stress (and can become a medical emergency) that often dominates the focus of i…
View article: Table of Contents
Table of Contents Open
View article: A Motivational Interviewing Chatbot With Generative Reflections for Increasing Readiness to Quit Smoking: Iterative Development Study (Preprint)
A Motivational Interviewing Chatbot With Generative Reflections for Increasing Readiness to Quit Smoking: Iterative Development Study (Preprint) Open
BACKGROUND The motivational interviewing (MI) approach has been shown to help move ambivalent smokers toward the decision to quit smoking. There have been several attempts to broaden access to MI through text-based chatbots. These typical…
View article: Technology-Supported Integrated Care Innovations to Support Diabetes and Mental Health Care: Scoping Review
Technology-Supported Integrated Care Innovations to Support Diabetes and Mental Health Care: Scoping Review Open
Background For individuals living with diabetes and its psychosocial comorbidities (eg, depression, anxiety, and distress), there remains limited access to interprofessional, integrated care that includes mental health support, education, …