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Journal of Pediatric Psychology Advance Access published online on October 8, 2009
Journal of Pediatric Psychology, doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsp087
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Case Study: Multisystemic Therapy for Adolescents Who Engage in HIV Transmission Risk Behaviors

Elizabeth J Letourneau, PhD1, Deborah A Ellis, PhD2, Sylvie Naar-King, PhD2, Phillippe B Cunningham, PhD1 and Sandra L Fowler, MD1

1Medical University of South Carolina and 2Wayne State University

All correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Elizabeth J. Letourneau, Ph.D. Family Services Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425. (843) 876-1800. E-mail: letourej{at}musc.edu


  Abstract

Objective To present a case study using multisystemic therapy (MST), an intensive family focused psychotherapy. For the clinical trial from which this case was drawn, MST was adapted to address multiple human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission risk behaviors in HIV-infected youth. Targeted behaviors included medication nonadherence, risky sexual behaviors, and substance use. Method One young woman's transmission risk behaviors are described, followed by a description of the MST procedures used to identify and treat the primary drivers of these risk behaviors. Outcome measures were self-report, urine screens, and blood draws. Results At discharge, the young woman showed significant improvements in medication adherence and related health status (e.g., reduced HIV viral load), healthier sexual behaviors, and reduced substance use. Importantly, neither her boyfriend nor her newborn tested positive for HIV. Conclusions Findings from this case study suggest that MST has the potential to reduce transmission risk behaviors among teens with HIV.

Key words: Adolescence; HIV; multisystemic therapy..

Received May 22, 2009; revision received August 31, 2009; accepted September 2, 2009


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