Study Targeting Affect Regulation

In the multi-component intervention protocol, participants will complete expressive writing exercises where they will be asked to write about difficult life experiences. Following expressive writing, participants will receive stress management skills training to assist them with managing any acute increases in distress that arise from the writing experience. Participants in the attention-control condition will write about neutral topics and complete psychological measures. The overarching goals of this Phase Ib RCT will be to: 1) examine the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and attention-control; and 2) determine whether intervention participants report reductions in traumatic stress symptoms over the 3 months following randomization. Findings from this Phase Ib trial will inform our efforts to implement a more definitive RCT of this intervention with HIV-positive, methamphetamine-using MSM.

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years of age or older
• Speak English
• Self-identify as a man who has sex with men
• Have been diagnosed with HIV for at least 3 months
• Provide evidence of HIV-positive serostatus
• Report using methamphetamine during the past 30 days

Exclusion criteria

• Do not have the capacity to provide informed consent