Pilot trial of a parenting and self-care intervention for HIV-positive mothers: the IMAGE program.

A pilot study was conducted to assess the effects of the IMAGE pilot intervention (Improving Mothers' parenting Abilities, Growth, and Effectiveness) on mothers living with HIV (MLH). Based on Fisher and Fisher's IMB model [1992. Changing AIDS risk behavior.

Gender differences in treatment and clinical characteristics among patients receiving extended release naltrexone.

Further research is needed to investigate real-world acceptability of extended-release naltrexone for alcohol and opioid use disorders, and potential gender differences. This study examines treatment and clinical characteristics among men and women receiving extended-release naltrexone in a large, publicly funded substance use disorder treatment system (N = 465; 52% female). Patient demographics, treatment characteristics, and the number of extended-release naltrexone doses received were collected from administrative data and treatment program staff.

Career readiness and externalizing behaviors of children affected by maternal HIV/AIDS: 15-year outcomes of the PACT study.

The purpose of this 15-year longitudinal study was to assess the effects of maternal HIV/AIDS on child/adolescent career readiness and externalizing behaviors. Interviews were conducted with 66 pairs of healthy children and their mothers living with HIV/AIDS (MLH), who are participants in the Parents And children Coping Together (PACT) project begun in 1997. All study participants were English or Spanish speaking.

Parenting Deficits of Mothers Living with HIV/AIDS who have Young Children.

The purpose of this study was to examine a model of the relationships between parenting deficits and skills, along with child outcomes, in a sample of mothers living with HIV (MLH) and their 6 to 14 year old children. Sixty-two MLH (61% Latina, 26% black, 3% white, & 10% multiracial) and their well children (age 6 - 14) were recruited from the greater Los Angeles, California, region to participate in an intervention (IMAGE: Improving Mothers' parenting Abilities, Growth, and Effectiveness) designed to assist MLH with parenting and self-care skills. Constructs examined included parenting deficits, parenting skills, and child outcomes.

Mortality, causes of death, and health status among methamphetamine users.

This study examines causes of death, years of life lost, and health and drug use characteristics associated with mortality over an 8 to 10 year period in a sample of methamphetamine users who had and had not received substance use disorder treatment (N = 563). Decedents reported initiating their methamphetamine use for different reasons than surviving methamphetamine users, and some of these differences varied by treatment status. Study findings provide additional detail on long-term health and mortality outcomes in a diverse sample of methamphetamine users, which may inform public health strategies targeting the comparable and divergent needs of treated and untreated populations.

A qualitative study of methamphetamine users' perspectives on barriers and facilitators of drug abstinence.

To better understand methamphetamine (MA) use patterns and the process of recovery, qualitative interviews were conducted with adult MA users (n = 20), comparing a sample that received substance abuse treatment with those who had not received treatment. Respondents provided detailed information on why and how they changed from use to abstinence and factors they considered to be barriers to abstinence. Audio recordings and transcripts were reviewed for common themes.

Pregnancy and fetal loss reported by methamphetamine-using women.

To better understand substance use disorder treatment needs of pregnant and parenting women who use methamphetamine (MA), this paper describes pregnancy histories and fetal losses for women who were treated for MA use (N = 153) with reference to a national sample, and describes their drug use, sexual risk behaviors, and mental health status. MA users reported an average of 4.6 total pregnancies and 2.

Poly-drug and marijuana use among adults who primarily used methamphetamine.

This study examines health and legal problems associated with use of commonly reported substances and combinations of substances in a sample of adults with long histories of methamphetamine (meth) use. Data are from a 2009-11 eight-year follow-up interview in an intensive natural history study (N = 373). Respondents who had not used illicit substances in the year preceding the follow-up interview (38%) were compared to users of marijuana-only (16%), meth-only (7%), and poly-drug users who used meth + marijuana but not heroin or cocaine (19%), and poly-drug users who used heroin and/or cocaine (20%).

Substance use and mental health characteristics associated with cognitive functioning among adults who use methamphetamine.

This study describes cognitive functioning and its relation to psychiatric and substance use severity among adults with long duration methamphetamine use. Study participants (N = 405) completed a battery of tests from the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics that examined cognitive accuracy, processing speed, and efficiency. Multivariate analyses indicate that lower accuracy but faster speed on learning, spatial memory and delayed memory were correlated with more days of past-month methamphetamine use.

Adolescent response to having an HIV-infected mother.

In this study, late adolescents/early adults whose mothers were living with HIV (MLH) were interviewed in order to explore their perceptions of what it had been like for them to grow up under the shadow of their mothers' illness. Adolescents were asked to describe what the difficult aspects of growing up with an HIV-positive mother were as well as what, if any, were the more rewarding aspects. Interviews were conducted in 2009-2010 with a random sample of 40 adolescents being followed up in a longitudinal assessment study.

Patterns of treatment utilization and methamphetamine use during first 10 years after methamphetamine initiation.

The study examined joint trajectories of methamphetamine (MA) use and substance abuse treatment utilization and identified differences among pattern groups for a sample of 348 treated for MA use. Results from group-based trajectory modeling showed that treatment utilization during the first 10 years after initiation of MA use could be categorized into three distinctive patterns: about half the MA users have a pattern of low treatment utilization; one-fourth follow a quicker-to-treatment trajectory with higher probability of treatment during the first 5 years of MA use and less treatment in the next 5 years; and one-fourth have a slower-to-treatment trajectory with more treatment during the second half of the 10-year period. Four MA use patterns were identified: consistently low use, moderate, and high use, as well as a decreasing use pattern.

Effects of Maternal HIV on Children's Psychosocial Adjustment with Peers and with Their Mother.

A longitudinal assessment was undertaken of young adolescents' psychosocial outcomes affected by maternal HIV/AIDS, focusing on both parent-child psychosocial ties and peer relationships. Data were taken from the Parents and Children Coping Together study (PACT), a 15-year study assessing mothers with HIV/AIDS and their well children every 6 months. Families (N = 118) who participated in PACT II and PACT III are included in the current analyses, who were assessed every 6 months for 36 months in PACT II, and every 6 months for 18 months in PACT III (providing 11 time points of data across 8 years).

Trajectories of Delinquency from Age 14 to 23 in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth Sample.

This study utilized data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to investigate risk trajectories for delinquency and factors associated with different trajectories, particularly substance use. The sample (N = 8,984) was 49% female. A group-based trajectory model was applied, which identified four distinct trajectories for both males and females: (1) a High group with delinquency rates consistently higher than other groups, with some decrease across the age range; (2) a Decreased group, beginning at high levels with substantial decrease to near zero; (3) a Moderate group experiencing some decline but remaining at moderate rates of delinquency through most of the age range; and (4) a consistently Low group, having low rates of delinquency declining to near zero by mid- to late-teens.

Impact of maternal HIV health: a 12-year study of children in the Parents And Children Coping Together project.

Purpose: The purpose of this 12-year longitudinal study was to assess the effects of maternal HIV/AIDS on child/adolescent well-being and behavioral outcomes, extending an earlier published account.

Methods: Interviews were conducted with 66 pairs of healthy children and their mothers living with HIV/AIDS, who are participants in the Parents And children Coping Together (PACT) project begun in 1997. All study participants were English or Spanish speaking.

Racial/ethnic differences in health status and morbidity among adults who use methamphetamine.

Higher disease rates among ethnic-minority populations compared to Whites have been pervasive and persistent over time, and as methamphetamine (MA) use continues to penetrate ethnically diverse geographic regions across the United States, minority populations may be at increased risk for adverse MA-related health consequences, thus further contributing to poorer health among vulnerable populations. This study examines racial/ethnic differences in health status and health conditions among individuals who used MA. Data are from a natural history interview study of adult MA users (N = 512), half of whom received treatment for MA abuse, and a comparison group who had not received substance abuse treatment.

Self-competence Among Early and Middle Adolescents Affected by Maternal HIV/AIDS.

Adolescent children of mothers with HIV face a host of stressors that place them at increased risk for poor outcomes. Using covariance structure analysis, this study examines adolescent risk outcomes and their relationships to maternal health, as well as the potentially protective factors of family environment and self-competence. The final model indicated that poor maternal health was negatively related to a protective family environment, which in turn was negatively related to adolescent risk outcomes.

HIV-positive mothers with late adolescent/early adult children: "empty nest" concerns.

In-depth interviews about the "empty nest" were conducted with 57 HIV-positive mothers of late adolescent/early adult children. Empty nest worries included the following: (a) identity loss, (b) loss of social support, (c) financial insecurity, (d) worsening of physical health, and (e) death/dying. Hopes included the following: (a) self-improvement, (a) change of life focus, (c) travel, (d) romantic partners, and (e) familial ties.

HIV-positive Mothers' Communication About Safer Sex And STD Prevention With Their Children.

Mothers play an important role in promoting the sexual health of their adolescent children. Fifty-seven HIV-positive mothers with adolescent children participated in an in-depth, qualitative interview regarding whether they have talked to their children about safer sex and STD prevention, including at what age they began such discussions, and what messages they gave to their children. The majority of mothers (95%) had talked with their child about safer sex; some began such discussions when the children were as young as 6 years old, but most began when the children were around 12 years old.

HIV Disease Impact on Mothers: What They Miss During Their Children's Developmental Years.

Adjusting to chronic illness is very complicated for families with children, as they are already faced with the challenge of development and childrearing. In this study, qualitative interviews were conducted with HIV positive mothers on a number of issues related to being an HIV positive mother raising young children. One topic of the interview was whether or not they felt that HIV had caused them to miss activities with their children while the children were growing up, what types of activities they had missed, the age of the child for each example, and how HIV had led to missing these activities.

Pilot trial of a disclosure intervention for HIV+ mothers: the TRACK program.

Objective: The Teaching, Raising, And Communicating with Kids (TRACK) program was a longitudinal pilot-trial intervention designed to assist mothers living with HIV (MLHs) to disclose their serostatus to their young children (age 6-12 years).

Method: MLH and child dyads (N = 80 dyads) were recruited and randomized to intervention or control; the intervention group had 3 individual sessions and 1 follow-up phone call. The sessions focused on preparing MLHs for disclosure through behavioral exercises using Derlega's model (V.

Self-report of Longitudinal Substance Use: A Comparison of the UCLA Natural History Interview and the Addiction Severity Index.

Reliance on self-report of alcohol and drug use behavior is typical among studies of substance abusers. Few studies have compared different instruments assessing frequency of drug use over long periods of time to compare findings and determine if the pattern of use is shown to be similar across measures. In this study, the UCLA Natural History Interview (NHI) and the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) were administered at three annual follow-up periods (N = 301).

Performance improvement in addiction treatment: efforts in California.

This article examines performance data improvement efforts among alcohol and other drug (AOD) county and program stakeholders within California's publicly-funded treatment system. County AOD system administrators from approximately two-thirds of California counties (N=37) and a random sample of treatment program managers (N=63) were surveyed about practices and priorities related to using performance data to improve service delivery. Survey results showed that over half (56.

Adolescent orofacial injury: association with psychological symptoms.

Ethnic minority youth living in urban areas experience disproportionately high rates of violent intentional injuries. This study investigates the association of violent intentional injuries with psychological distress and alcohol use among adolescents treated in trauma centers for facial injuries. Interviews were conducted with 67 adolescents treated at two urban trauma centers (predominantly males [86%], and minority [Latino, 72%; African American, 19%]).

Anxiety/stress among mothers living with HIV: effects on parenting skills and child outcomes.

Parental HIV infection has been associated with negative outcomes for children, and parenting skills appear to be one mechanism operating in that association. The present study focuses on the relations between maternal stress, parenting, and child functioning among families where the mother is living with HIV. Sixty-nine mothers with at least one child between six and 12 years old completed questionnaires at the baseline assessment of an intervention designed to facilitate maternal disclosure of HIV status.

Predictors of Sexual Behavior Among Early and Middle Adolescents Affected by Maternal HIV.

The impact of maternal HIV and family variables on sexual behaviors of early and middle adolescents was investigated. Data were collected from 118 pairs of HIV-positive mothers and their uninfected early/middle adolescents across four time-points. Descriptive analyses show the prevalence of sexual behaviors in this sample was significantly lower than rates in a comparable sample of adolescents who participated in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.