Computerized stress management training for HIV+ women: a pilot intervention study

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Women living with HIV (HIV+) face unique psychosocial stressors.
• Existing interventions often do not cater to the specific needs of this population.
• A gap exists in tailored stress management programs for HIV+ women.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a brief, theory-guided, computer-administered stress management intervention for HIV+ women.
• To assess the intervention's impact on psychological functioning, perceived stress, coping self-efficacy, and stress management knowledge.
• To provide initial evidence on the efficacy of digital psychosocial interventions for this demographic.

Main Methods:

• Recruitment of 60 HIV+ female participants, with 70% being African American.
• Randomization into immediate intervention and delayed treatment control groups.
• Assessment of psychological outcomes at baseline and one-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• Participants receiving the intervention showed significantly improved stress management knowledge (p<0.01).
• No significant differences were observed in depressive symptoms, psychological distress, perceived stress, or coping self-efficacy between groups (ps>0.05).

Conclusions:

• Computerized psychosocial interventions may enhance stress management knowledge in HIV+ women.
• Current digital interventions require further development to effectively address broader psychological needs.
• Continued refinement is necessary to optimize computer-based psychosocial interventions for HIV+ women.