Peter Steinglass

The Efficacy of a Relationship-Based HIV/STD Prevention Program for Heterosexual Couples

OBJECTIVES This study examined the efficacy of a relationship-based HIV/sexually transmitted disease prevention program for heterosexual couples and whether it is more effective when delivered to the couple or to the woman alone. METHODS Couples (n = 217) were recruited and randomized to (1) 6 sessions provided to couples together (n = 81), (2) the same intervention provided to the woman alone (n = 73), or (3) a 1-session control condition provided to the woman alone (n = 63). RESULTS The intervention was effective in reducing the proportion of unprotected and increasing the proportion of protected sexual acts. No significant differences in effects were observed between couples receiving the intervention together and those in which the woman received it alone. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the efficacy of a relationship-based prevention program for couples at risk for HIV infection.

Long-Term Effects of an HIV/STI Sexual Risk Reduction Intervention for Heterosexual Couples

This randomized clinical trial examined the relative efficacy of a relationship-based HIV/STI prevention intervention for women and their regular male sexual partners at 12 months post-intervention. A total of 217 couples were randomized to (1) a six-session intervention provided to the woman and her sexual partner together (n = 81); (2) the same intervention provided to the woman alone (n = 73); or (3) a one-session health information education “control” provided to the woman alone (n = 63). Findings suggest the intervention was efficacious in reducing unprotected sex at 12 months post-intervention, compared with the education control group. No significant differences were observed when comparing whether couples received the intervention together or when the woman received it alone.

Enrollment of minority women and their main sexual partners in an HIV/STI prevention trial

There is a paucity of empirical reports that quantitatively assess the success of recruitment strategies in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) using sampling units other than the individual. As innovations in HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) preventive intervention protocols and targets of change evolve, there is a need to examine the efficacy of attendant adaptations to recruitment protocols and strategies in the enrollment of study participants. This article examines factors related to enrollment of women and their main, male sexual partners in an RCT of a relationship-based HIV/STI preventive intervention conducted from 1997 to 2001. Among eligible participants (N = 388), findings indicate that race/ethnicity, employment status, marital status, and language preference were significantly associated with enrollment among eligible, potential participants. Additionally, being HIV-positive and having a past or current STI were significantly associated with enrollment. These findings underscore the need to ensure sufficient representation of all risk groups in RCTs, especially those testing innovative HIV/STI preventive intervention approaches or using novel enrollment strategies.

Family Systems and Motivational Interviewing: A Systemic-Motivational Model for Treatment of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems

SUMMARY Despite growing evidence of the impact of substance abuse disorders on families and the effectiveness of family-based treatment approaches for these disorders, family therapy remains an underutilized modality for these conditions. One reason may be the relative paucity of treatment models combining family systems concepts with current advances in substance abuse treatment. This paper describes one such approach, called the Systemic Motivational Model, a treatment model that has as its goal the integration of the empirically-grounded family systems model of alcoholism treatment first developed in the 1980s (the Family Life History model) with the core ideas encompassed in Motivational Enhancement Therapy.

Relocation as Potential Stressor or Stimulating Challenge

Abstract Guided by Rutter and Garmezys model of risk, vulnerability, buffers, and resilience, the impact of relocations on children was examined, first in a literature review and then in an empirical study. The study assessed the impact of mobility on United States State Department families who had returned to the U.S. from life abroad. A history of mobility appears to put these children somewhat at risk. Factors that increase childrens vulnerability to the risks of relocation include age, race, and a propensity to perceive social interactions as negative. A positive emotional climate in the family and a high functioning mother appear to buffer the negative effects of relocations. The skills children have learned in order to adjust to previous relocations may serve as resiliencies in adjusting to the current relocation.

Medical Family Therapy in Oncology

Cancer diagnoses encompass a broad and varied group of diseases that share the feature of abnormal and uncontrolled cell growth. In the United States alone, an estimated 1.6 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed last year (American Cancer Society, 2016). Once considered a death sentence, many cancers are now treated as chronic illnesses that require long-term management (McCorkle et al., 2011). This shift from acute to chronic care for patients with cancer represents a culmination of continually evolving medical advances that have succeeded in prolonging survival and expanding the range of available treatment options.