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Ourselves, our bodies, our realities: An HIV prevention intervention for women with severe mental illness

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Abstract

This paper describes a 10-session behavioral intervention introducing female-initiated methods of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention to reduce vulnerability to HIV infection for women with severe mental illness. In a pilot test of the intervention, 35 women were randomly placed in the experimental intervention group or an HIV education control. Subjective norms, intentions to use, perceived efficacy, and attitudes toward the male condom, female condom, and a microbicide were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and 6-week follow-up. The participants in the treatment group reported a significantly more positive attitude toward the use of female condoms (t = −2.12, P <.05) at 6-week follow-up. Providing women with severe mental illness with choices o f protective methods and the knowledge and skills to ensure proper use are among the many crucial ingredients in prevention of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, the New York State Psychiatric Institute, 601 West 168th Street, Suite 32, 10032, New York, NY

    Pamela Y. Collins (Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry) &  Ezra S. Susser

  2. Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University, USA

    Pamela Y. Collins (Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry) &  Ezra S. Susser

  3. Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Hahnemann University, USA

    Pamela A. Geller

  4. New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA

    Sutherland Miller

  5. New York Presbyterian Hospital and the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, USA

    Patricia Toro

Authors
  1. Pamela Y. Collins
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  2. Pamela A. Geller
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  3. Sutherland Miller
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  4. Patricia Toro
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  5. Ezra S. Susser
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pamela Y. Collins.

Additional information

This study was conducted with support from the National Institute of Mental Health (training grant 5-T32-MH19126, R01 MH58917, and K01MH01691), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (033352), and a New York State Psychiatric Institute research study grant.

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Collins, P.Y., Geller, P.A., Miller, S. et al. Ourselves, our bodies, our realities: An HIV prevention intervention for women with severe mental illness. J Urban Health 78, 162–175 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1093/jurban/78.1.162

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