Yale University

A randomized clinical trial of a coping improvement group intervention for HIV-infected older adults.

TitleA randomized clinical trial of a coping improvement group intervention for HIV-infected older adults.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2011
AuthorsHeckman, Timothy G., Kathleen J. Sikkema, Nathan Hansen, Arlene Kochman, Victor Heh, and Sharon Neufeld
Corporate AuthorsAIDS and Aging Research Group
JournalJournal of behavioral medicine
Volume34
Issue2
Pagination102-11
Date Published2011 Apr
ISSN1573-3521
KeywordsAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Adaptation, Psychological, Aged, Depression, Female, Geriatric Assessment, HIV Infections, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy, Group, Self-Help Groups, Severity of Illness Index
AbstractThis research tested if a 12-session coping improvement group intervention (n = 104) reduced depressive symptoms in HIV-infected older adults compared to an interpersonal support group intervention (n = 105) and an individual therapy upon request (ITUR) control condition (n = 86). Participants were 295 HIV-infected men and women 50-plus years of age living in New York City, Cincinnati, OH, and Columbus, OH. Using A-CASI assessment methodology, participants provided data on their depressive symptoms using the Geriatric Depression Screening Scale (GDS) at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 4- and 8-month follow-up. Whether conducted with all participants (N = 295) or only a subset of participants diagnosed with mild, moderate, or severe depressive symptoms (N = 171), mixed models analyses of repeated measures found that both coping improvement and interpersonal support group intervention participants reported fewer depressive symptoms than ITUR controls at post-intervention, 4-month follow-up, and 8-month follow-up. The effect sizes of the differences between the two active interventions and the control group were greater when outcome analyses were limited to those participants with mild, moderate, or severe depressive symptoms. At no assessment period did coping improvement and interpersonal support group intervention participants differ in depressive symptoms.
DOI10.1007/s10865-010-9292-6
Alternate JournalJ Behav Med

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