title: The impact of structured support groups for pregnant South African women recently diagnosed HIV positive.
abstract: The authors of this study evaluated a structured 10-session psychosocial support group intervention for newly HIV-diagnosed pregnant South African women. Participants were expected to display increases in HIV disclosure, self-esteem, active coping and positive social support, and decreases in depression, avoidant coping, and negative social support. Three hundred sixty-one pregnant HIV-infected women were recruited from four antenatal clinics in Tshwane townships from April 2005 to September 2006. Using a quasi-experimental design, assessments were conducted at baseline and two and eight months post-intervention. A series of random effects regression analyses were conducted, with the three assessment points treated as a random effect of time. At both follow-ups, the rate of disclosure in the intervention group was significantly higher than that of the comparison group (p<0.001). Compared to the comparison group at the first follow-up, the intervention group displayed higher levels of active coping (t=2.68, p<0.05) and lower levels of avoidant coping (t=-2.02, p<0.05), and those who attended at least half of the intervention sessions exhibited improved self-esteem (t=2.11, p<0.05). Group interventions tailored for newly HIV positive pregnant women, implemented in resource-limited settings, may accelerate the process of adjusting to one's HIV status, but may not have sustainable benefits over time.
authors.affiliation: MRC Unit for Maternal and Infant Health Care Strategies, Department of Psychology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. jonathan.mundell@gmail.com
authors.forename: Jonathan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mundell
authors.forename: Maretha J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.forename: Jennifer D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Makin
authors.forename: Trace S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kershaw
authors.forename: Brian W C
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Forsyth
authors.forename: Bridget
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jeffery
authors.forename: Kathleen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Sikkema
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000523:psychology*; D006295:Health Resources; D006801:Humans; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012944:Social Support; D013019:South Africa; D055815:Young Adult