HealthTRAC: Enhancing Emotion Regulation among Overweight and Obese Adolescents Attempting to Lose Weight
The aim of this study examined the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary impact of a program HealthTRAC that combined two efficacious interventions (one targeting emotion regulation (TRAC; Talking about Risk and Adolescent Choices) and the second a standardized behavioral weight management intervention (SBWC) to improve weight management outcomes among a sample of adolescents with overweight and obesity. Body Mass Index (BMI) was used to examine impact on adolescent weight outcomes. Adolescents (N=38) reported on intervention acceptability and emotion regulation abilities and caregiver reported on adolescent ER skills were also assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 4 months after intervention. More information about this study can be found HERE.
TRAC: Preventing HIV through Affect Management for High-Risk Early Adolescents
The aim of this study was to evaluate a developmentally targeted face-to-face intervention designed to enhance early adolescents’ emotion regulation competencies as a strategy for reducing health risk behaviors, including sexual initiation. Adolescents with mental health symptoms (N=420) participated in either an Emotion Regulation (ER) or Health Promotion (HP) intervention consisting of twelve after-school sessions. Adolescents reported on sexual and substance use behaviors, mental health symptoms, self-efficacy for HIV prevention, and school connectedness at baseline and 2-, 6-, 12-, 18- and 24-months post-intervention. More information about this study can be found HERE.
AVATAR: Reduce the Risk: An Affect Management Program for HIV Prevention
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acceptability and preliminary impact of using immersive virtual reality environments (IVREs) paired with a brief emotion regulation and risk reduction intervention (ER+IVRE) relative to this same intervention content paired with role-plays (ER+RP) among early adolescents. Adolescents (N=85) reported on acceptability, feasibility, sexual knowledge and attitudes, and emotion regulation at baseline and 3 months after intervention completion. More information about this study can be found HERE.
Family-Based HIV Prevention: An Interactive DVD
The aim of this study was to test an interactive DVD and workbook (Work It Out Together; WIOT) that was specifically designed for African-American parents and adolescents to address key factors associated with risk. Parent-adolescent dyads (N=170) were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either a General Health Promotion DVD or the WIOT. Parents and adolescents completed measures of HIV knowledge, self-efficacy, parental monitoring, and sexual communication prior to receiving an intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months later. Adolescents also reported on whether they had ever had sex, sex in the past 90 days, condom use, and marijuana and alcohol use. More information about this study can be found HERE.
STYLE: HIV Prevention for Youth with Severe Mental Illness (aka: STYLE)
The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of family-based HIV prevention and adolescent only HIV prevention programs tailored for the needs of youth in mental health treatment, in decreasing HIV risk and improving knowledge and self-efficacy. Adolescent-caregiver dyads (N=771) were recruited from mental health settings and were randomized into one of three theory-based, structured group intervention conditions that were tailored for mental health needs: family-based HIV prevention, adolescent-only HIV prevention, and health promotion. Assessments included self-report and observational measures of communication, as well as numerous other measures of parent-adolescent behaviors and attitudes related to sexual and substance use risk taking (e.g., parental monitoring, family functioning, risk behaviors, etc.). Assessments were completed at baseline, 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-months post-intervention. of the 721 adolescent-caregiver dyads recruited for the study, 167 videotapes of sexual discussions between caregivers and adolescents were coded for family-based intervention and 191 videotapes for the active comparison. More information about this study can be found HERE.