The sexual and relationship needs of individuals diagnosed with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) are often ignored by psychiatric treatment providers. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the UCLA Friendship & Intimacy module, a manualized skills training intervention that focuses on teaching individuals with SPMI how to develop friendships, make sound decisions regarding their sexuality, and engage in safe and satisfying sex. The sample consisted of 17 chronic psychiatric patients who were assigned to either the Friendship and Intimacy group or a manualized social skills group that did not include a focus on sexuality. All groups were held in extended partial hospital programs. Outcomes were assessed using a series of self-report instruments that measured: knowledge related to dating skills and sexual health, behavioral intentions and expectations to practice safe sex, attitudes regarding condom use, and quality of life. Data, which were collected pre and post treatment, were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and univariate tests. The results of the MANOVA were significant, in that, overall, there was a significant effect of treatment group (i.e., treatment versus control) on the set of nine outcome variables when considered together in the model. For participants in the Friendship and Intimacy group, hypothesized changes from pre- to post-treatment were observed on several variables related to knowledge acquisition and condom attitudes. Due to small sample size, these differences were not statistically significant. However, the effect sizes ranged from 0.11 (small effect) to 0.96 (large effect), suggesting that this intervention may be useful for promoting friendship and healthy sexuality in people with chronic SPMI.
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Clinical Psychology
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Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Rutgers University. Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
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