Examining the Influence of Trauma Exposure on HIV Sexual Risk Between Men and Women in Post-Conflict Liberia.

The adverse impact of exposure to war-related traumatic events on mental health is well documented. Few studies, however, have focused on the impact of exposure to war-related traumatic events on HIV sexual risk behavior in post-conflict countries such as Liberia. We investigated whether exposure to war-related traumatic events was linked to HIV sexual risk behavior, and identified potential mediators of this relationship, including stressful life events, problematic alcohol use, and intimate partner violence (IPV) among women and men in Liberia. Data were collected from a sample of 395 participants in Monrovia, Liberia. Results from the serial multiple mediator model did not support direct or indirect effects between war-related traumatic events and HIV sexual risk behavior among women. For men, we found both direct and indirect effects between war-related traumatic events and HIV sexual risk behavior. Findings from this research highlight the need for trauma-informed HIV prevention strategies in Liberia.

Assessing the Acceptability of a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Intervention for African-American Women Living with HIV/AIDS.

African-American HIV-seropositive women are at elevated risk for depressive symptoms compared to their seropositive counterparts. Depressive symptoms have been linked to HIV/AIDS-related health predictors and outcomes such as medication and care adherence, and viral load. Project UPLIFT, a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy intervention originally designed for persons with epilepsy has been shown effective to reduce depressive and anxiety symptoms. Focus groups were conducted to assess the appropriateness and acceptability of UPLIFT for African-American HIV-seropositive women and to obtain feedback on needed modifications. The focus groups, including cisgender and transgender African-American HIV-seropositive women, revealed, while well received, modifications should include lowering the reading level of content and altering specific mindfulness-based exercises to make them relevant and acceptable to the target population. This qualitative work demonstrates UPLIFT could be a promising avenue to improve the mental health of African-American HIV-seropositive women, a group for which mindfulness interventions had not been previously considered. SIGNIFICANCE: Mindfulness-based interventions have been found effective in reducing depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. Further, it has been used for groups living with chronic illness, particularly HIV/AIDS. It has helped to improve mental and behavioral health, as well as increase CD4 count and reduce viral load for some samples of people living with HIV/AIDS. African-American women living with HIV/AIDS are especially vulnerable to poor mental and behavioral health given their experience of mental illness and hesitancy to engage mental healthcare. Though used for other groups of people living with HIV/AIDS, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy has not previously been considered for this population. This study explored the acceptability and feasibility of an MBCT intervention for this group. The data suggests that this intervention could be potentially useful in improving the mental health of this population, and includes suggestions for making the intervention culturally relevant.