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THE EFFECTS OF PARTNER-TYPE, AND SELF-EFFICACY ON SAFE SEX PRACTICES IN A SAMPLE OF HOMELESS WOMEN
Title
THE EFFECTS OF PARTNER-TYPE, AND SELF-EFFICACY ON SAFE SEX PRACTICES IN A SAMPLE OF HOMELESS WOMEN
Creator
Mikrut, Cassandra
Date
2017, 2017-05
Description
Homeless women tend to engage in a variety of behaviors that put them at risk for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Some of...
Show moreHomeless women tend to engage in a variety of behaviors that put them at risk for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Some of these behaviors include engaging in unprotected sex as well as higher levels of substance use. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of partner-type and condom use self-efficacy on sexual safety practices. Data were derived from 128 homeless women, living in shelters throughout New York City. Somers’ d was used to test the effects of partner-type, “steady” versus “casual,” and condom use self-efficacy on sexual safety practices. Results indicated that there were significant relationships between partner type and condom use as well as self-efficacy and condom use. Specifically, when the participant considered their primary partner to be “steady” they were less likely to use a male condom during sexual intercourse. Furthermore, higher condom use self-efficacy coincided with higher rates of condom use. Based on these results, it would be ideal for future research and interventions to focus on safe sex practices with “steady” partners, as these appear to be the riskier relationship.
M.S. in Psychology, May 2017
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Comparing the effects of an adjunct brief action planning intervention to standard treatment in a heterogeneous sample of chronic pain patients
Title
Comparing the effects of an adjunct brief action planning intervention to standard treatment in a heterogeneous sample of chronic pain patients
Creator
Mikrut, Cassandra Leona
Date
2022
Description
Objectives: Behavioral treatments for chronic pain have been associated with positive outcomes, but they are often time consuming in nature....
Show moreObjectives: Behavioral treatments for chronic pain have been associated with positive outcomes, but they are often time consuming in nature. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of a brief behavioral treatment for chronic pain and compare Brief Action Planning used in conjunction with treatment as usual (BAP + TAU) to TAU, on changes in pain severity, pain interference, pain self-efficacy, quality of life, and anxiety and depression in a heterogeneous sample of chronic pain patients. Methods: A total of 172 participants were recruited from an urban pain clinic. Eighty-five participants were quasi-randomly assigned to the BAP + TAU group and 87 participants were quasi-randomly assigned to the TAU control group. After completing T1 measures, two iterations of the BAP protocol were delivered to the intervention group by a trained clinician over the phone, with two weeks in between iterations. The TAU group received check-in calls, collecting brief mood and pain scores, to control for clinician contact. All participants completed T2 measures following the last phone call. Validated measures were used at T1 and T2 to examine participant outcomes. Results: Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used to test the primary hypotheses that there would be a Group x Time interaction, on pain severity, pain interference, pain self-efficacy, quality of life (QOL), and anxiety and depression, such that participants assigned to the BAP + TAU group would endorse improved scores from T1 to T2, while TAU participants would not. Results showed a significant Group x Time interaction on pain severity and anxiety and depression. However, there was not a significant Group x Time interaction on pain interference, pain self-efficacy, or QOL. Discussion: These findings provide preliminary support for the effectiveness of BAP, as an adjunctive treatment to TAU, when provided by a trained clinician, as a treatment for reducing pain severity and anxiety and depression, in a heterogeneous chronic pain population. These results advance the current BAP literature, providing preliminary support for using BAP with individuals with a wide variety of chronic pain diagnoses.
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