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Historically, spirituality has been an instrumental component to the survival of Black women. In an era when the HIV epidemic disproportionately compromises their health, it is imperative to explore spirituality's role in sustaining the psychological health of Black women living with HIV. This study examined the relationship between spirituality and self-reported depression among Black women living with HIV. A sample of 308 HIV-positive Black women were recruited from HIV/ AIDS clinics in the Southeastern United States. Participants completed an interview assessing demographics, quality of life, depression, coping, and spirituality. A hierarchical multiple regression was used to determine the association between spirituality and depression. The results suggest that in our sample, spirituality accounted for a small, yet significant proportion of variance in reducing depressive symptoms, above and beyond variance accounted for by demographic variables and other theoretically important psychosocial factors. In light of these findings, future studies with HIV-positive Black women should assess spirituality as a salient factor affecting psychological health. Developing interventions that address spirituality may serve to enhance women's psychological adjustment, to living with HIV. doi:10.1300/J013v46n02_08 KEYWORDS. Spirituality, Black women, HIV positive, depression

Objectives. We examined the efficacy of an HIV prevention intervention among African American female adolescents reporting a history of gender-based violence. Methods. In this analysis of a subgroup of participants involved in a randomized controlled trial, consistent condom use, psychosocial mediators associated with HIV-preventive behaviors, and presence of sexually transmitted diseases were assessed at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. The intervention emphasized ethnic and gender pride, HIV knowledge, condom attitudes, healthy relationships, communication, and condom use skills. Results. Relative to the comparison condition, participants randomized to the intervention reported using condoms more consistently, had fewer episodes of unprotected vaginal sex, engaged in a greater proportion of protected intercourse acts, were more likely to have used a condom during their most recent intercourse, were less likely to have a new sexual partner, were less likely to have a sexually transmitted disease, and demonstrated more proficient condom skills. Conclusions. Given the substantial prevalence of gender-based violence among female adolescents and the associations observed between gender-based violence, HIV risk, and HIV infection, it is essential that HIV interventions involving young women address partner violence. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2004.053595)

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2005.04.004 Byline: Barbara Olasov Rothbaum (a), Page Anderson (b), Elana Zimand (c), Larry Hodges (d), Delia Lang (e), Jeff Wilson (f) Abstract: This controlled clinical trial tested virtual reality exposure (VRE) therapy for the fear of flying (FOF), a relatively new and innovative way to do exposure therapy, and compared it to standard (in vivo) exposure therapy (SE) and a wait list (WL) control with a 6- and 12-month follow-up. Eighty-three participants with FOF were randomly assigned to VRE, SE, or WL. Seventy-five participants, 25 per group, completed the study. Twenty-three WL participants completed randomly assigned treatment following the waiting period. Treatment consisted of 4 sessions of anxiety management training followed either by exposure to a virtual airplane (VRE) or an actual airplane at the airport (SE) conducted over 6 weeks. Results indicate that VRE was superior to WL on all measures, including willingness to fly on the posttreatment flight (76% for VRE and SE; 20% for WL). VRE and SE were essentially equivalent on standardized questionnaires, willingness to fly, anxiety ratings during the flight, self-ratings of improvement, and patient satisfaction with treatment. Follow-up assessments at 6 and 12 months indicated that treatment gains were maintained, with more than 70% of respondents from both groups reporting continued flying at follow-up. Based on these findings, the use of VRE in the treatment of FOF was supported in this controlled study, suggesting that experiences in the virtual world can change experiences in the real world. Author Affiliation: (a) Emory University School of Medicine, USA (b) Georgia State University, USA (c) Virtually Better, Inc., USA (d) University of North Carolina-Charlotte, USA (e) Emory University, USA (f) Georgia Institute of Technology, USA Article History: Received 29 September 2004; Accepted 1 April 2005

This controlled clinical trial tested virtual reality exposure (VRE) therapy for the fear of flying (FOF), a relatively new and innovative way to do exposure therapy, and compared it to standard (in vivo) exposure therapy (SE) and a wait list (WL) control with a 6- and 12-month follow-up. Eighty-three participants with FOF were randomly assigned to VRE, SE, or WL. Seventy-five participants, 25 per group, completed the study. Twenty-three WL participants completed randomly assigned treatment following the waiting period. Treatment consisted of 4 sessions of anxiety management training followed either by exposure to a virtual airplane (VRE) or an actual airplane at the airport (SE) conducted over 6 weeks. Results indicate that VRE was superior to WL on all measures, including willingness to fly on the posttreatment flight (76% for VRE and SE; 20% for WL). VRE and SE were essentially equivalent on standardized questionnaires, willingness to fly, anxiety ratings during the flight, self-ratings of improvement, and patient satisfaction with treatment. Follow-up assessments at 6 and 12 months indicated that treatment gains were maintained, with more than 70% of respondents from both groups reporting continued flying at follow-up. Based on these findings, the use of VRE in the treatment of FOF was supported in this controlled study, suggesting that experiences in the virtual world can change experiences in the real world.

One of the most consistent findings in the adolescent literature is the higher prevalence of depression among girls compared with boys. (1-5) Moreover, this gender difference in prevalence rates continues [...], Objective. The purpose of this study was to identify adverse health consequences that may co-occur with depression among black female adolescents. Methods. Adolescents were recruited from high-risk neighborhoods in Birmingham, Alabama. The sample comprised 460 black female adolescents (aged 14-18 years) who completed assessments at baseline and at 6 and 12 months. Only adolescents who consistently scored above the threshold for depression at all 3 assessments (n = 76) or below the threshold at all 3 assessments (n = 174) were included (N = 250) in the data analysis. Within this sample, adolescents who were depressed were compared with those who were not depressed with respect to the following health consequences: low self-esteem, emotional abuse, physical abuse, verbal abuse, poor body image, and antisocial behavior. Results. Using generalized estimating equations and controlling for covariates, depressed adolescents were 5.3 times more likely to report low self-esteem, 4.3 times more likely to report emotional abuse, 3.7 times more likely to report being physically abused, and almost 3 times as likely to report being verbally abused. Furthermore, depressed adolescents were more than twice as likely to report poor body image and nearly twice as likely to report engaging in antisocial behaviors. Conclusions. The findings suggest that a broad range of adverse health consequences may accompany depression among black female adolescents. Physicians need to be alert to the co-occurrence of depression and low self-esteem; emotional, physical, and verbal abuse; poor body image; and antisocial behaviors among this population. Pediatrics 2005;116:78-81; adolescent depression, adolescent health, adolescent sexual behavior, adverse outcomes, black. ABBREVIATIONS. CES-D, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale; GEE, generalized estimating equations.

The study evaluates the efficacy of an intervention to reduce HIV transmission risk behaviors and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and enhances HIV-preventive psychosocial and structural factors among women living with HIV.

Adolescent girls in general and African-American girls in particular are high-risk targets for contracting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) despite specifically designed interventions for this community. A test was conducted to study the efficacy of intervention to reduce sexually transmitted diseases and it was found that tailored interventions can enhance HIV preventive behavior and may reduce pregnancy.

The goals of this study were to test the relationship between dating violence victimization (i.e., verbal, emotional, and physical abuse) and psychological well-being (i.e., depressive symptomatology, self-esteem, and body image) among 522 African American girls, and to determine whether social support acted as a buffer of negative effects (moderator) or as an intervening factor (mediator) in the relationship between dating violence victimization and psychological well-being. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that dating violence victimization was associated with negative psychological outcomes. Although social support did not moderate this relationship, it served as a mediator of the relationship between dating violence victimization and psychological well-being. Dating violence programs for African American girls should consider how to incorporate family, church, and other networks in the community to foster support, and allow adolescent girls to discuss their abusive experiences in a nonblaming environment. If programs are able to buoy girls who experience dating violence, then they may be able to ameliorate the associated negative psychological sequelae.