Cognitive-behavioral group intervention to assist substance-dependent adolescents in lowering HIV infection risk.
Substance dependent adolescents (N = 19), court referred into a residential drug treatment facility received a five-session HIV risk-reduction intervention that provided risk education, social competency skills (sexual assertion, partner negotiation, and communication skills), technical skills (condom use), and problem-solving training. Before and after the intervention, subjects completed measures of AIDS risk knowledge, health locus of control, social support, attitudes toward HIV prevention, attitudes toward condoms, self-efficacy, and perceptions of risk in addition to role-play assessments of behavioral skill resisting high-risk coercions. Postintervention, subjects exhibited increased knowledge about HIV/AIDS, more favorable attitudes toward prevention, greater internal and lower external locus of control scores, more favorable attitudes toward condom use, increased self-efficacy, and greater recognition of HIV vulnerability. Following intervention, the percentage of participants reporting sexual activity in high-risk contexts decreased, substantiating the intervention's effectiveness. Self-report data were corroborated by sexually transmitted disease treatment records. This uncontrolled demonstration effort suggests that skills training based on cognitive-behavioral principles may be a promising intervention strategy to lower vulnerable adolescents' risk of HIV infection.
St Lawrence
J S
JS
Community Health Program, Jackson State University, MS 39217-0105.
Jefferson
K W
KW
Banks
P G
PG
Cline
T R
TR
Alleyne
E
E
Brasfield
T L
TL
D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D015497:HIV-1; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008922:Mississippi; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012114:Residential Treatment / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*