Switching “Leader” and “Follower” Roles: The Wedding First Dance as a Representation of a Modern Relationship

The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine whether introducing switch dancing as an alternative to the traditional “leader” and “follower” role dynamic in a wedding first dance could be an effective tool of empowerment for people of all gender identities and sexual orientations. It was particularly important to understand whether this could have a positive impact on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and other (LGBTQIA+) community. To the researcher’s knowledge, no other academic research paper has ever examined the intersectionality between the wedding industry, the LGBTQIA+ community, and switch partner dancing. This study was developed to seek insight into the following essential questions: Q1 What are engaged participants’ existing perspectives on their first dances? Q2 Does learning about switch dancing open new possibilities for engaged couples? Q3 Is switch dancing an effective advocacy tool for empowering the LGBTQIA+ community? The research instruments included an online survey which consisted of multiple-choice, multiple-selection, and open-ended questions, and an optional follow-up virtual interview. Thirty-seven people participated in the study by engaging with the survey; of those, eight participants also participated in the interview. Permission for this research was obtained from the University of Northern Colorado’s Institutional Review Board, and consent forms were collected from all participants. Data were collected from March through September 2022. The study’s limitations included a small sample size, potential bias caused by meeting the researcher in-person, limited mathematical analyses methods available, and the research instruments’ untested validity and reliability. The outcomes of this study showed that switch dancing was an incredibly powerful tool for empowering both LGBTQIA+ and heteronormative participants. Switch dancing allowed participants to authentically represent the equality in their partnerships. The implications of changing outdated paradigms and modernizing social norms in weddings could cause significant positive effects throughout society

Switching “Leader” and “Follower” Roles: The Wedding First Dance As A Representation of A Modern Relationship

The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine whether introducing switch dancing as an alternative to the traditional “leader” and “follower” role dynamic in a wedding first dance could be an effective tool of empowerment for people of all gender identities and sexual orientations. It was particularly important to understand whether this could have a positive impact on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and other (LGBTQIA+) community. To the researcher’s knowledge, no other academic research paper has ever examined the intersectionality between the wedding industry, the LGBTQIA+ community, and switch partner dancing. This study was developed to seek insight into the following essential questions: Q1 What are engaged participants’ existing perspectives on their first dances? Q2 Does learning about switch dancing open new possibilities for engaged couples? Q3 Is switch dancing an effective advocacy tool for empowering the LGBTQIA+ community? The research instruments included an online survey which consisted of multiple-choice, multiple-selection, and open-ended questions, and an optional follow-up virtual interview. Thirty-seven people participated in the study by engaging with the survey; of those, eight participants also participated in the interview. Permission for this research was obtained from the University of Northern Colorado’s Institutional Review Board, and consent forms were collected from all participants. Data were collected from March through September 2022. The study’s limitations included a small sample size, potential bias caused by meeting the researcher in-person, limited mathematical analyses methods available, and the research instruments’ untested validity and reliability. The outcomes of this study showed that switch dancing was an incredibly powerful tool for empowering both LGBTQIA+ and heteronormative participants. Switch dancing allowed participants to authentically represent the equality in their partnerships. The implications of changing outdated paradigms and modernizing social norms in weddings could cause significant positive effects throughout society

Mediators of the Relationship between Depression and Medication Adherence among HIV Positive Substance Users

Medication adherence is of utmost importance in predicting health outcomes across numerous chronic conditions, particularly HIV/AIDS. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to treat HIV/AIDS requires high levels of adherence to maintain viral suppression, which is crucial for optimal HIV treatment and prevention. One of the most significant patient-level barriers to medication adherence is depressive symptoms. Even at subclinical levels, depressive symptoms predict nonadherence above and beyond other relevant psychosocial factors. Despite the focus on depressive symptoms as a reliable and powerful predictor of nonadherence, few studies have sought to test potential mechanisms underlying this relationship, which is an important step to advance our understanding of how depression affects adherence to inform intervention efforts. The current study utilized early behavioral theories of depression (Lewinsohn, 1974; Ferster, 1973) to select potential mediators that may be relevant to both depression and adherence. Specifically, we tested the key components of these models, (1) goal-directed activation, (2) positive reinforcement, and (3) punishment in one's environment as potential mediators of the relationship between depressive symptoms and medication adherence among HIV positive individuals in substance abuse treatment (n = 73). We examined adherence to HAART as well as adherence to other daily medications using a combination of self-report assessments (% of doses missed over past four days, frequency of doses missed across common reasons for nonadherence) and viral load. Greater levels of punishment mediated a positive relationship between clinician-rated depressive symptoms and greater frequency of missed doses across common reasons for nonadherence. Activation and positive reinforcement were unrelated to adherence or viral load in this sample. Findings suggest the importance of punishment in explaining the relationship between depression and medication nonadherence. Individuals with elevated depressive symptoms may perceive greater negative consequences related to medications (e.g., side effects, stigma) and may be less likely to overcome barriers necessary for optimal adherence. If findings continue to replicate, this may suggest a need to target punishment in HIV prevention and treatment, for instance in the context of integrated cognitive behavior therapy interventions that target depression and adherence among substance users

Examining the Effect of the LET'S ACT Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression on Substance Abuse Treatment Dropout

Despite the prevalence of depression among substance users and the negative impact of depressive symptoms on substance abuse treatment outcomes, few interventions targeting depression have been developed to meet the needs of depressed substance users, particularly in low-income urban areas. The current study aimed to replicate and expand upon promising preliminary findings for the use of a brief behavioral activation approach [Life Enhancement Treatment for Substance Use (LET'S ACT; Daughters et al., 2008)] to treat depression in the context of inner-city residential substance abuse treatment. Main extensions to the previous study include a comparison of LET'S ACT to a contact-time matched control treatment, Supportive Counseling (SC), and a more definitive evaluation of the effect of LET'S ACT on substance abuse treatment dropout. Results indicated that compared to SC, participants receiving LET'S ACT evidenced significantly lower rates of substance abuse treatment dropout and depressive symptoms, as evidenced by a significant treatment x time interaction with the change in self-reported and clinician-rated depressive symptoms from baseline to the 2-week follow up, as well as significantly higher rates of behavioral activation, as evidenced by a significant treatment x time interaction with scores on the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale (BADS) from pre- to post-treatment. This study builds on preliminary evidence for LET'S ACT as a short-term behavioral treatment for depression in residential substance abuse treatment and offers initial support for the effect of LET'S ACT on substance use outcomes