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The Impact of Trauma-Focused Group Therapy upon HIV Sexual Risk Behaviors in the NIDA Clinical Trials Network “Women and Trauma” Multi-Site Study

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Abstract

Women in drug treatment struggle with co-occurring problems, including trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can heighten HIV risk. This study examines the impact of two group therapy interventions on reduction of unprotected sexual occasions (USO) among women with substance use disorders (SUD) and PTSD. Participants were 346 women recruited from and receiving treatment at six community-based drug treatment programs participating in NIDA’s Clinical Trials Network. Participants were randomized to receive 12-sessions of either seeking safety (SS), a cognitive behavioral intervention for women with PTSD and SUD, or women’s health education (WHE), an attention control psychoeducational group. Participants receiving SS who were at higher sexual risk (i.e., at least 12 USO per month) significantly reduced the number of USO over 12-month follow up compared to WHE. High risk women with co-occurring PTSD and addiction may benefit from treatment addressing coping skills and trauma to reduce HIV risk.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the work and support of the six Regional Research Training Centers involved in the study and the invaluable commitment of the clients and staff at the seven participating Community-based Treatment Programs. This study was supported by the following grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): U10 DA13035 (Edward Nunes, PI), U10 DA13714 (Dennis Donovan, PI), U10 DA13038 (Kathleen Carroll, PI), U10 DA13732 (Eugene Somoza, PI), U10 DA13727 (Kathleen Brady, PI), U10 DA013720 (Jose Szapocznik, PI), U10 DA013046 (John Rotrosen, PI), K24 DA022412 (Edward Nunes, PI). Staff from NIDA’s Clinical Trials Network collaborated in the design and conduct of the study, assisted with data management and quality assurance during the trial, and provided comments for consideration on this manuscript. The Clinical Trial Identification Number is NCT00078156 (NIDA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, City College of New York, City University of New York, North Academic Campus-Room 8-131, 138th Street and Convent Avenue, New York, NY, 10030, USA

    Denise A. Hien

  2. Social Intervention Group, Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, NY, USA

    Aimee N. C. Campbell

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    Therese Killeen

  4. Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA

    Mei-Chen Hu

  5. The VillageSouth, Inc., Miami, FL, USA

    Cheri Hansen & Michele DiBono

  6. Division of Biostatistics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA

    Huiping Jiang

  7. Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Mary Hatch-Maillette

  8. Substance Abuse Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA

    Gloria M. Miele, Lisa R. Cohen & Edward V. Nunes

  9. Department of Psychology, Research Center for Trauma and Addiction, City College of New York, New York, NY, USA

    Lisa R. Cohen

  10. New York University Child Study Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Weijin Gan

  11. Addiction Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Stella M. Resko

  12. School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Elizabeth A. Wells

  13. Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA

    Denise A. Hien & Edward V. Nunes

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  1. Denise A. Hien
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  2. Aimee N. C. Campbell
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  3. Therese Killeen
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  8. Gloria M. Miele
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  9. Lisa R. Cohen
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  11. Stella M. Resko
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  12. Michele DiBono
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  13. Elizabeth A. Wells
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  14. Edward V. Nunes
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Correspondence to Denise A. Hien.

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Hien, D.A., Campbell, A.N.C., Killeen, T. et al. The Impact of Trauma-Focused Group Therapy upon HIV Sexual Risk Behaviors in the NIDA Clinical Trials Network “Women and Trauma” Multi-Site Study. AIDS Behav 14, 421–430 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-009-9573-7

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