Mental Health Support Is an Unmet Need for Long-term Burn Survivors: A Web-based Survey.

A National Trauma Research Action Plan identified the involvement of burn survivors as critical informants to determine the direction of research. This study employed a web-based survey to identify care gaps in a sample of burn survivors. We surveyed burn survivors from around the United States through social media and email contact with the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors.

Enhancing the health of women living with HIV: the SMART/EST Women's Project.

THE PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVE OF THESE MULTISITE STUDIES (FLORIDA, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY: epicenters for human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] among women) was to develop and implement effective combinations of behavioral interventions to optimize the health status of the most neglected and understudied population affected by the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in the United States: poor women of color living with HIV. The two studies enrolled nearly 900 women randomly assigned to "high intensity" (cognitive-behavioral stress management training combined with expressive-supportive therapy [CBSM]+ group) or "low intensity" (individual psychoeducational program) treatment conditions over a period of 9 years. The initial study of the stress management and relaxation training/expressive-supportive therapy (SMART/EST) Women's Project (SWP I) focused on reducing depression and anxiety, as well as improving self-efficacy and overall quality of life for women with case-defined AIDS.

HIV Medication Adherence and Substance Use: The Smartest Women's Project.

Antiretroviral (ARV) medication for substance users has been a controversial issue with respect to whether current substance users can successfully maintain their medication regimens. This study compared ARV adherence across current substance users, former substance users and those with no history or current use and the relative impact of a medication adherence intervention on all three groups. Of the 481 predominantly African American and Latina women from Miami, New York and New Jersey enrolled in the SMARTEST Women's Program, 338 participants were prescribed antiretroviral medication at study entry.

Improving dietary habits in disadvantaged women with HIV/AIDS: the SMART/EST women's project.

There is a lack of information on whether brief nutrition education can succeed in improving longer-term dietary patterns in disadvantaged populations with HIV/AIDS. In the SMART/EST II Women's Project 466 disadvantaged women with HIV/AIDS were randomized to one of four groups and received a two-phase training consisting of a coping skills/stress management and nutrition education provided either in a group or individually. At baseline the majority of participants had excessive fat and sugar consumption and suboptimal intakes of vegetables, fruits, calcium-rich foods and whole grains.

A burn mass casualty event due to boiler room explosion on a cruise ship: preparedness and outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to review our experience with a mass casualty incident resulting from a boiler room steam explosion aboard a cruise ship. Experience with major, moderate, and minor burns, steam inhalation, mass casualty response systems, and psychological sequelae will be discussed. Fifteen cruise ship employees were brought to the burn center after a boiler room explosion on a cruise ship.

Decreased depression up to one year following CBSM+ intervention in depressed women with AIDS: the smart/EST women's project.

This prospective multisite Phase III clinical trial (Miami, New York, New Jersey) investigated the long-term (one year) effects of a 10-week group cognitive-behavioral stress management/expressive supportive therapy (CBSM+) intervention on disadvantaged minority women living with AIDS. The CBSM+ intervention consisted of 10-weekly group session of stress management, cognitive-behavioral skill training, relaxation techniques and expressive-supportive therapeutic strategies. The primary study outcome was self-reported depression scores as measured by the BDI.

Cognitive-behavioral interventions improve quality of life in women with AIDS.

Objective: We tested the effects of a 10-week group-based cognitive-behavioral stress management/expressive-supportive therapy intervention (CBSM+) and a time-matched individual psychoeducational condition for 330 women with AIDS reporting moderate to poor baseline quality of life (QOL). The goal of this study was to examine treatment effects on total QOL and 11 QOL domains from baseline to post-intervention follow-up.

Methods: Participants were assessed at baseline, randomized to a treatment condition (individual psychoeducation condition n=180, group-based CBSM+ condition n=150), participated in the intervention for 10 weeks and assessed again within 4 weeks following the intervention.