title: Internalizing Symptoms and Safe Sex Intentions among Adolescents in Mental Health Treatment: Personal Factors as Mediators.
abstract: Little is known about why some adolescents with internalizing symptoms engage in sexual behaviors that increase their risk for HIV. This study tested a mediation model of internalizing symptoms and safe sex intentions among adolescents receiving mental health treatment. Self-efficacy for HIV prevention, HIV knowledge, and worry about HIV were hypothesized to mediate associations between internalizing symptoms and safe sex intentions among sexually active and non-active adolescents receiving mental health treatment (N= 893, M age = 14.9). Significant indirect effects from internalizing symptoms to safe sex intentions varied according sexual experience: for sexually non-active adolescents, HIV worry and knowledge mediated this link, whereas for sexually active adolescents, HIV self-efficacy was the significant mediator. Increasing both HIV knowledge and self-efficacy for HIV prevention are important targets for HIV prevention with adolescents with internalizing symptoms, and careful attention should be paid towards targeting these interventions to sexually experienced and inexperienced youth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Rowan University. 201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro, NJ 08028.
authors.forename: Meredith C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Joppa
authors.affiliation: Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center/Rhode Island Hospital and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. One Hoppin Street, Suite 204, Providence, RI 02903.
authors.forename: Christie J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.affiliation: Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center/Rhode Island Hospital and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. One Hoppin Street, Suite 204, Providence, RI 02903.
authors.forename: Larry K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center/Rhode Island Hospital and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. One Hoppin Street, Suite 204, Providence, RI 02903.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hadley
authors.affiliation: Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center/Rhode Island Hospital and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. One Hoppin Street, Suite 204, Providence, RI 02903.
authors.forename: Jodi-Ann
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dattadeen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago. Institute for Juvenile Research, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Geri
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Donenberg
authors.affiliation: Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University. Atlanta, GA.
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: DiClemente
keywords: Adolescents; HIV Prevention; Internalizing Symptoms; Sexual Risk