The Impact of an Intervention Program for HIV-Positive Women on Well-Being, Substance Use, Physical Symptoms, and Depression

SUMMARY The Women's Intervention Program of the Well-Being Institute (WBI) in Detroit, Michigan, was designed to assist HIV-positive women with a history of substance abuse to access primary medical care. The program, based on The Personalized Nursing LIGHT Model, postulates that improved well-being precedes positive change in important areas such as substance use and coping with chronic disease. This evaluative study of 55 participants from intake to first follow-up after six months in the program shows that well-being significantly improved, that substance use declined as well-being improved, that well-being was a significant predictor of ability to cope with living with HIV, and that depression was correlated with physical condition with respect to both status and change.