Use of a brief behavioral skills intervention to prevent HIV infection among chronic mentally ill adults

Research shows that many chronic psychiatric patients are at risk for infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study investigated the effects of a behavioral skills training program designed to prevent HIV infection among chronic mentally ill adults living in an inner-city area.

Twenty-seven men and 25 women were randomly assigned either to a four-session AIDS prevention program emphasizing risk education, sexual assertiveness, condom use, risk-related behavioral self-management, and problem-solving skills or to a waiting-list group, who later received the same intervention.

Compared with the waiting-list control group, participants in the prevention program demonstrated significant gains in AIDS-related knowledge and intentions to change risk behaviors. The prevention program also significantly reduced rates of unprotected sexual intercourse and increased the use of condoms over a one-month follow-up period. A subset of participants who provided two-month follow-up data maintained some behavior changes.

A relatively brief, skills-focused AIDS prevention program for chronic psychiatric patients produced reductions in HIV risk behaviors. Such HIV risk reduction intervention programs may be of use in inpatient, outpatient, and community-based settings.