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

HIV+women have unique psychosocial stressors, but few interventions have been designed for this population. To address this gap in the literature, we developed a brief, theory-guided, computer-administered, stress management intervention for HIV+ women. To obtain initial evidence of the intervention's efficacy, we recruited 60 HIV+ female participants (70% African American) and randomized them to an immediate or delayed intervention condition. Psychological functioning, perceived stress, coping self-efficacy, and stress management knowledge were assessed at baseline and at a one month follow-up. Compared with the delayed treatment control group, women who received the intervention demonstrated improved stress management knowledge at the follow-up (p<0.01). However, depressive symptoms, psychological distress, perceived stress, and coping self-efficacy did not differ between the immediate and delayed intervention groups (ps>0.05). Computerized psychosocial interventions require continued refinement to meet the needs of HIV+ women.