Efficacy of an HIV prevention program among African American female adolescents reporting high depressive symptomatology

Abstract

Objectives: We examined the efficacy of an HIV prevention intervention among African American adolescent females reporting at or above threshold depressive symptomatology.

Methods: In this analysis, a subgroup of participants (n = 245) reporting at or above threshold depressive symptoms involved in a randomized controlled trial were assessed at 6-month and 12-month follow-ups on condom use and psychosocial mediators associated with HIV prevention behaviors. The intervention emphasized HIV knowledge, condom attitudes, communication self-efficacy, and condom use skills.

Results: Relative to the comparison condition, participants randomized to the intervention reported using condoms more consistently, engaged in a greater proportion of condom protected intercourse acts, had fewer episodes of unprotected vaginal sex, were more likely to use a condom at last sex, and had higher HIV knowledge, favorable attitudes toward condoms, condom use self-efficacy, and condom use skills.

Conclusions: Overall, the pattern of effects found strengthen our confidence in the efficacy of the HIV intervention assessed for a broad range of young women, including those with high levels of depressive symptoms. Although young women with high depressive symptoms benefited from this HIV intervention, future studies employing interventions that specifically address the affective needs of this population might be even more effective in terms of sexual risk reduction and amelioration of depressive symptoms.