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Approximately 36% of HIV cases are related to substance abuse. Substance abusers, including non-injection drug users, are high-risk for contracting HIV due to risky behaviors, including unprotected sex. Due to these behavioral and infection risks, feasible interventions that focus on condom use within this population are imperative. The current study involved the development of brief intervention designed to increase implementation intentions (situation-linked action plans) to use condoms in convicted non-violent drug offenders participating in drug diversion programs in Southern California. Participants (n = 143) were randomized at the individual level to either waitlist-control or experimental conditions. The randomized wait-list control group received the HIV survey for the pre-test before the intervention, while the experimental group received a neutral, non-HIV related, survey at pre-test. The experimental group received the HIV survey as the post-test after the intervention (wait-list control group received the neutral, non-HIV related, survey). One-tailed Mann Whitney U tests were used to compare the wait-list control and experimental groups. The experimental group was more likely to report stronger implementation intentions to use condoms (p < .001). These results indicate in the short term that a brief, easily disseminated HIV intervention can be effective for increasing implementation intentions to use condoms in an extremely high HIV-risk population.

Increased depression symptomatology results in a reduced willingness to seek help from family. Focusing on Mexican-Americans, the current study hypothesized that the a reduction in favorable perceptions of familial relations could be partially to blame for limited help seeking among people with depression. Data were collected from 84 Mexican-Americans. Measures assessed depression symptomatology, familism, perceptions of help seeking from family, and demographics. As predicted: (1) depression symptomatology was negatively associated with perceptions of help seeking from family; (2) familism was positively associated with perceptions of help seeking from family; and, (3) depression symptomatology was negatively associated with familism. Further, familism partially mediated the relationship between depression symptomatology and help seeking comfort, as well as between depression symptomatology and the perceived utility of familial help seeking. The results indicate a reduction in familistic values may be partially responsible for reduced help seeking among Mexican-Americans with depression.

The current study explored depression, help-seeking, and academic struggles among graduate students. Focus groups were conducted with graduate students who self-reported currently or previously experiencing depression. Mental health, help-seeking, and campus mental health culture were discussed. Participants described the emergence or reemergence of mental health challenges. Although some reported feeling comfortable discussing depression with friends, participants noted minimal institutional openness about mental health, being expected to be mentally and physically exhausted, and fear of stigmatization.

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