The moderating role of sexual identity in group teletherapy for adults aging with HIV

Bernadette Davantes Heckman, Travis I. Lovejoy, Timothy G. Heckman, Timothy Anderson, Tiffany Grimes, Mark Sutton, Joseph A. Bianco

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

Older adults living with HIV/AIDS experience high rates of depression and suicidal ideation but are less likely than their younger counterparts to seek psychological services. HIV continues to disproportionately impact older men who have sex with men (MSM), many of whom were infected in their 20s and 30s. This study examined whether therapy attendance rates and the efficacies of two group-format teletherapies for the treatment of depression (coping effectiveness group training and supportive-expressive group therapy) were comparable for older MSM and older heterosexuals living with HIV. Intervention-outcome analyses found that older MSM and older heterosexuals living with HIV attended comparable numbers of teletherapy sessions. Older heterosexuals living with HIV who received telephone-administered supportive-expressive group therapy reported significantly greater reductions in depressive symptoms than SOC controls. A similar pattern was not found in older MSM. More research is needed to personalize and tailor group teletherapies for older MSM living with HIV. © 2014

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)134-142
Number of pages9
JournalBehavioral Medicine
Volume40
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 3 2014

Keywords

  • HIV
  • aging
  • depression
  • teletherapy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Applied Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The moderating role of sexual identity in group teletherapy for adults aging with HIV'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this