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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Robert McMahon, PhD¹, Jessy G. Dévieux, PhD², Terri Jennings, PhD², Rhonda Rosenberg, PhD², Emma Ergon-Pérez, MA², Michèle Jean-Gilles, PhD², and Robert Malow, PhD². (1) Educational and Psychological Studies, University of Miami, 312 Merrick Building, 5202 University Drive, Coral Gables, HI 33146, 305-284-5064, r.mcmahon@miami.edu, (2) AIDS Prevention Program, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151 Street, Miami, FL 33181

BACKGROUND: A high convergence of psychopathology, drug use behaviors and sexual risk complicates HIV intervention with detained adolescents; however, few studies have examined these risk associations of personality disorder symptoms in this high risk group to enable more targeted prevention of HIV transmission. We hypothesized that the severity and type of personality symptoms would be related to greater levels of substance abuse and HIV risk and thus could begin to guide intervention efforts with adolescents in the criminal justice system. METHOD: Participants were 524 inner city, predominantly minority, substance abusing adolescent offenders (73% male; mean age=15.7) enrolled in two NIH-funded HIV prevention projects. They were administered measures of sexual behavior, condom attitudes and skills, HIV knowledge, and substance abuse in addition to the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) for assessing psychopathogy/personality symptoms. RESULTS: Hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis identified three psychopathology cluster subgroups: Submissive/Conforming (n=200); Antisocial-Unruly/Self-Dramatizing (n=179); Inhibited/Depressive (n=145). A series of ANOVAs identified between group differences in alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine use, the frequency of condom use when using alcohol and cocaine, and in both the number of unprotected sex acts and total number of sex partners (all ps<.05). The Antisocial/Unruly and the Inhibited/Depressive subgroups reported significantly greater alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine use, unprotected sex, and more sex partners than the Submissive/Conforming subgroup.CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that AOD abusing adolescent offenders should be assessed for psychopathy/personality disorder symptoms and consequently linked to more tailored HIV risk reduction interventions that address their specific characterological profile.

Learning Objectives:

• articulate psychopathological factors associated with risky sexual behavior;
• develop targeted interventions;
• identify psychological profiles for interventions.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Alcohol Problems

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No