Evaluated impact of motivational enhancement (ME) of substance abuse treatment compared to relaxation training (RT) on sex without condoms (overall and involving substance use) 3 months following release among incarcerated adolescents. This randomized clinical trial involved 114 incarcerated adolescents from the Northeast. Regression analyses determined if treatment condition, baseline levels of depressive symptoms, and their interaction predicted condom non-use 3 months post-release, controlling for baseline condom non-use. Among those who reported fewer baseline depressive symptoms, those in ME condition reported significantly less condom non-use, in general and involving marijuana use compared with those in RT condition. Periods of incarceration represent opportunities to help juvenile detainees reduce behaviors that impact their health and the health of those with whom they interact in the community.
Family environment and rates of mental health and behavioral problems in HIV-negative adolescents and their parents living with HIV (PWH) were compared to adolescents and parents from non HIV-affected families living in similar inner-city neighborhoods. Adolescents and their parents were interviewed and a case-control sample was constructed. Data on sixty-two matched pairs of adolescents of PWH and those of neighborhood parents and forty-six matched pairs of PWH and HIV-negative parents were examined. Compared to neighborhood controls, adolescents of PWH experienced greater life stressors and family conflict and reported lower self-esteem. PWH reported greater emotional distress and substance use. However, there were no significant differences in emotional distress or externalized problem behaviors between the two adolescent groups. Clinical implications are discussed.
This study qualitatively examined the social-ecological stressors that youth experience during the first year following an HIV diagnosis. Thirty HIV-positive youth (16 males, 14 females) between the ages of 16-24 participated in either focus groups or individual interviews. All sessions were transcribed and themes were identified through cross-case and comparative analyses. Participants reported experiencing stressors within multiple social-ecological systems, including interactions with their families, sexual partners, health care providers, work, and school. The results from this study highlight the need for youth-focused services that assist with multiple layers of stressors during the first year following an HIV diagnosis.