Friends interventions in Psychosis:a narrative review and call to action

Abstract Aims To highlight the importance of friendships to young people with psychosis, and the need for clinical interventions to help maintain peer relationships during illness. To structure a research agenda for developing evidence-based interventions with friends. Method An argument is developed through a narrative review of (i) the proven efficacy of family interventions, and (by comparison) a relative absence of friend-based interventions; (ii) the particular primacy of friendships and dating for young people, and typical effects of exclusion; and (iii) reduced friendship networks and dating experiences in psychosis, in pre-, during and post-psychosis phases, also links between exclusion and psychosis. Results We put forward a model of how poor friendships can potentially be a causal and/or maintenance factor for psychotic symptoms. Given this model, our thesis is that interventions aiming to maintain social networks can be hugely beneficial clinically for young people with psychosis. We give a case study to show how such an intervention can work. Conclusions We call for ‘friends interventions’ for young people with psychosis to be developed, where professionals directly work with a young person's authentic social group to support key friendships and maintain social continuity. An agenda for future research is presented that will develop and test theoretically driven interventions

Translation of a comprehensive health behavior intervention for women living with HIV: the SMART/EST Women's Program

Translation of behavioral interventions into community settings for people living with HIV/AIDS can decrease the risk of comorbid conditions. This study was designed to determine whether a multiple health behavior intervention for women with HIV/AIDS could be effectively translated into community health centers (CHCs), delivered by CHC primary care staff. Health Resources and Services Administration-supported CHCs in Miami, FL, and the New York metropolitan area participated. Six health behavior domains were assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months post-intervention: nutrition, physical activity, sexual risk behavior, alcohol use, drug use, and tobacco use. Behavioral outcomes were compared between research staff-led and CHC staff-led intervention groups. Research staff and CHC staff outcomes were similar for the majority of outcomes. Results indicate that complex, multicomponent behavioral interventions can be translated into community-based settings with existing CHC staff and can produce clinical effects similar to those achieved by research staff