Posts classified under: Women

IMAGE Program

The incidence of HIV is high among women of childbearing age in the U.S., and mothers living with HIV (MLH) report their greatest source of stress is combining the maternal role with the psychological and medical demands of coping with a chronic, life-threatening condition.

The purpose of this R01 pilot study is to develop and then test the feasibility of implementing a parenting intervention for HIV-infected mothers with well children age 6–14 years old.  The intervention is designed to improve parenting skills and maternal self-care skills in order to improve child and maternal outcomes.  The basis for development of this intervention is work from two previous R01s (MH # 5R01MH057207, currently Yr. 12) designed to longitudinally assess HIV-positive mothers and their children.

MLH (n = 60) and their children (total N = 120) will be recruited, randomized to a theory-based, skills training intervention or a control condition, and assessed at baseline and 3, 6, and 12-month follow-ups.  The intervention (“Improving Mothers’ parenting Abilities, Growth, & Effectiveness”—the IMAGE program) will consist of 5 sessions, and will be based on the Information – Motivation – Behavioral Skills (IMB) model of health behavior change, with specific skills selected based on our 10-year observational study of MLH and their children, which is on-going at UCLA.  A random subset of 40% of the intervention mothers (n = 12) will be asked to participate in an in-depth qualitative interview after their last follow-up, to obtain detailed process information on their experiences in the intervention.

The main aims of this randomized pilot trial are to:

  1. Develop the intervention and then evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the 5-week, theory based, individual behavior intervention to enhance positive parenting skills of MLH; and
  2. Conduct preliminary evaluation of the data for effect sizes and investigate trends in the data for
      • Parenting practices outcomes (utilizing the parent practices scale), and secondary outcomes of parenting efficacy
      • Parenting behaviors targeted (parent-child communication, parental monitoring, family routines, and appropriate parentification) and the self-care skills targeted (social support, disclosure, dealing with perceived stigma)
      • Maternal outcomes for mental health indicators and physical health indicators
      • Child outcomes of mental health indicators, behavioral problems, and self-concept and coping
      • Family outcomes (family functioning, parent-child relationship)

We are now in the third decade of the HIV epidemic, and few interventions, other than for prevention or medication adherence, are available for women living with HIV; this study will be the first step in the evaluation an intervention that will assist HIV-positive mothers in dealing with the stress of parenting while coping with HIV. The pilot data will lead to a future application for a full-scale trial of the intervention to test efficacy.

Teens and Adults Learning to Communicate (TALC: NYC)

Teens and Adults Learning to Communicate

Project TALC was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and is an intervention designed to improve behavior and mental health outcomes among parents with AIDS and their adolescent children. The study sample was comprised of 307 financially-needy, AIDS-infected parents in New York City and 412 adolescent children. The majority (80%) of the parents were mothers. Approximately one-half of the study participants were Latino and over one-third were African American.

Targeted Risk Group: 

AIDS-infected parents and their children

 Intervention model:

Cognitive behavioral intervention comprised of two modules. The first module was for parents only (8 sessions) and focused on coping with the HIV illness and disclosure. The second module was for parents and their adolescents (16 sessions) and focused on ways to plan a legacy, e.g. making custody arrangements.

 Research Methods: 

In a random assignment study, families assigned to take part in Project TALC were compared with families assigned to a control group on mental health and health behaviors, including sexual behavior and substance use. Because participants were followed over time, longitudinal random effect regression models were used to test the efficacy of the intervention.

 Local Significance: 

Over the two-year follow-up period, adolescents assigned to take part in the intervention reported significantly and substantially lower levels of emotional distress, conduct problems, and family-related stressors and higher levels of self-esteem than did control group adolescents.

 International Significance: 

Project TALC provided a behavioral intervention that can be adapted for other countries and cultures to improve behavior and mental health outcomes among parents with AIDS and their adolescent children.

Published Journal Articles:

  1. [Download not found]
  2. [Download not found]
  3. [Download not found]
  4. [Download not found]
  5. [Download not found]
  6. [Download not found]
  7. [Download not found]
  8. [Download not found]
  9. [Download not found]
  10. [Download not found]
  11. [Download not found]
  12. [Download not found]
  13. [Download not found]
  14. [Download not found]
  15. [Download not found]
  16. [Download not found]
  17. [Download not found]
  18. [Download not found]
  19. [Download not found]
  20. [Download not found]
  21. [Download not found]
  22. [Download not found]
  23. [Download not found]
  24. [Download not found]
  25. [Download not found]
  26. [Download not found]
  27. [Download not found]
  28. [Download not found]
  29. [Download not found]
  30. [Download not found]
  31. [Download not found]
  32. [Download not found]
  33. [Download not found]
  34. [Download not found]
  35. [Download not found]
  36. [Download not found]
  37. [Download not found]
  38. [Download not found]
  39. [Download not found]
  40. [Download not found]

Please see TALC LA for the up-to-date intervention manuals.

Surveys and Scales Used: 

  1. Needle Use and Sharing - Survey
  2. Acculturation, Habits, and Interests Multicultural Scale for Adolescents (AHIMSA)
  3. Medication Adherence - Survey
  4. Self Harm: Suicide History - Survey
  5. CDC Sexual Behavior Questions (CSBQ)
  6. Health Belief Model: Self-Efficacy for Sexual Discussion (HBMSD) - Scale
  7. Self-Efficacy to Refuse Sexual Behavior (RSB) - Scale
  8. Self-Efficacy for Limiting Substance Use - Scale
  9. Self-Efficacy for Negotiating Condom Use - Scale
  10. [Download not found]
  11. Detention and Jail History Assessment - Survey
  12. [Download not found]
  13. Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AOD) - Scale
  14. Dealing with Illness - Scale
  15. Rosenberg Self-Esteem (RSE) - Scale
  16. [Download not found]
  17. Parker Parental Bonding Instrument
  18. Network Assessment
  19. Life Events Assessment - Survey
  20. HIV Related Incidents - Survey
  21. Healthcare Utilization, Providers, and General Health Assessment: Including STD and Pregnancy - Survey
  22. HIV Testing Assessment - Survey
  23. Global HIV Competence Assessment - Scale
  24. Getting Services Assessment - Survey
  25. General Medical History Assessment
  26. Multiple Problem Behavior - DSM Conduct Problems (DSMC) - Conduct Disorder
  27. Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI)

Teaching, Raising, and Communicating with Kids (TRACK)

The purpose of this 3-year R01 is to test the preliminary efficacy of an intervention to assist HIV-infected mothers to disclose their serostatus to their young (age 6 – 12 year old), well children.

The basis for development of this intervention is work from two R01s (MH # 5R01MH057207, currently Yr. 09) designed to longitudinally assess HIV-positive mothers and their children, which included studies on maternal disclosure (e.g., Murphy, Marelich, & Hoffman, 2002; Murphy, Marelich, Hoffman, & Schuster, 2006; Murphy, Roberts, & Hoffman, 2002; Murphy, Roberts, & Hoffman, 2003; Murphy, Roberts, & Hoffman, 2006; Murphy, Steers, & Dello Stritto, 2001).  This research suggests disclosure is difficult for mothers living with HIV (MLWHs), and that outcomes for both mothers and children could be improved by the proposed intervention.

Information gathered in the previous two R01s will be used to develop a brief disclosure intervention.  MLWHs (N = 80) will be randomly assigned to the intervention or control condition.  MLWHs and children (N = 160) will be assessed at baseline, 3, 6, and 9-month follow-ups. A random subset of intervention mothers (n = 12) will be asked to participate in an in-depth qualitative interview after their last follow-up, to obtain detailed process information on their experiences in the study.

The aims of the intervention are to:  improve mother-child communication and parenting skills—particularly as they relate to disclosure.  As a result of the intervention aims, other primary and secondary outcomes include:  increasing readiness to disclose, and disclosure itself; improving both MLWH and child mental health indicators; reducing child behavioral problems, and improving the parent-child relationship and family functioning.

This study will provide important prospective, longitudinal data on MLWHs’ adjustment to having disclosed their serostatus, and their children’s adjustment to the disclosure. Previous research indicates that for some families, maternal and child psychological distress may increase immediately following disclosure, but will decrease over time; the longitudinal design of this study will allow us to follow mothers and children throughout the disclosure process.

The study will allow evaluation of maternal and child characteristics that may moderate or mediate the impact of disclosure. Finally, process evaluations for each intervention session as well as in-depth qualitative interviews with a subset of MLWHs who attended the intervention will provide information on issues that need to be addressed prior to a full-scale trial of the disclosure intervention.  Few interventions, other than for prevention or medication adherence, are available for women living with HIV; this study will evaluate an intervention that will help HIV-positive mothers deal with a serious family issue.

1 2
Copyright © 2025 CHIPTS - Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services. All rights reserved. Admin
site by Pendari