Intervention for (Those) Recently Informed of Seropositive Status (IRISS)

An intervention designed to increase positive affect in a population newly diagnosed with HIV will be effective at improving affect and HIV-related outcomes such as mental and physical health, coping and coping resources.

The study is a randomized controlled trial of a 5-session positive affect skills intervention compared to an attention-matched control condition. Participants will be 200 men and women who have tested positive for HIV within the past 12 weeks. Both intervention and control sessions will be approximately one hour long and will be administered one-on-one by trained facilitators. Both groups will have daily home practice over the 5 weeks of the intervention. At the end of the assessment period, participants in the control condition will have the opportunity to attend a ½ day group session that provides a condensed version of the positive affect skills taught in the intervention condition. Participants will complete assessments at four points and CD4 and viral load assays will be run at 3 time points.

• Behavioral: Skills-Building Intervention
  A 5-week intervention including 5 weekly sessions covering 8 varied coping skills with daily home practice. The skills are: 1) noting daily positive events; 2) capitalizing on positive events; 3) gratitude; 4) mindfulness; 5) positive reappraisal; 6) focusing on personal strengths; 7) setting and working toward attainable goals; and 8) small acts of kindness. Sessions are 1 hour long and include approximately 30 minutes per day.
• Behavioral: Personal Interview Group
  There are 5 weekly sessions which will be approximately one hour long and will consist of personal interview. The interviews will include both quantitative and qualitative questions. Each session will have a separate theme including: Life 1) History; 2) Health History; 3) Personality; 4) Social Networking; and, 5) Meaning & Purpose.

• Experimental: 1
  Skills Building Group
  Intervention: Behavioral: Skills-Building Intervention
• Active Comparator: 2
  Personal Interview Group
  Intervention: Behavioral: Personal Interview Group

Inclusion Criteria:

• have been informed they were HIV positive within the past 12 weeks
• speak English or Spanish
• be 18 years or older
• have the ability to provide informed consent to be a research participant.

Exclusion Criteria:

• inability to provide informed consent, as evidenced by cognitive impairment as assessed by trained interviewers and confirmed by a licensed clinical psychologist
• active psychosis as assessed by trained interviewers and confirmed by clinical psychologist