The effects of two marathon group therapy interventions on the levels of depression and state anxiety in African American women infected with HIV/AIDS

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two marathon group therapies using cognitive-behavioral and existential interventions to assist African American women infected with HIV/AIDS deal with depression and anxiety. The two dependent variables examined were depression and anxiety. The study was a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design conducted in a large metropolitan Midwestern city. A total of 17 African American women who were infected with HIV/AIDS participated. Data was analyzed on 14 of the women, as three did not complete the post-test measures. The data included pre/post measures of the dependent variables, depression and state anxiety, as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II ( BDI-II, Beck et al., 1996) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Form Y (STAI, Form Y, State, Spielberger, 1983) respectively. The independent variable was assignment to one of two groups, Existential Marathon Group Therapy (ET), or Cognitive-Behavioral Marathon Group Therapy (CBT). This study posited differential changes (reductions) in two dependent variables (depression and state anxiety) in African American women infected with HIV/AIDS after participation in one of two treatment conditions (Existential Marathon Group Therapy (ET) or Cognitive Behavioral Marathon Group Therapy (CBT). An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed no statistically significant differences, in the between subjects analysis or within subjects contrasts for the dependent variables.