Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Body Image and Self-Care (CBT-BISC) Among Sexual Minority Men Living with HIV: Skills-Based Treatment Mediators

AbstractIndividuals develop coping skills in response to body image distress; however, the degree to which body image improvements are mediated by skill acquisition is unknown. The current study assessed skills-based mediators of CBT-BISC (n  =  22) versus enhanced treatment-as-usual (n  =  22) for sexual minority men with HIV and body image disturbance. Skills-based mediators included avoidance, appearance fixing, and acceptance and cognitive reappraisal. Results revealed that CBT-BISC significantly reduced body image disturbance and improved coping skills. Latent difference score mediation indicated that changes in acceptance and cognitive reappraisal significantly predicted body image disturbance changes (b  =  −.96,p  =  .001). These strategies may, therefore, have a unique role in reducing body image disturbance in sexual minority men with HIV. Clinicians may wish to prioritize these strategies in CBT-BISC. Future treatment research, with methodologically rigorous mediation designs, is needed to assess mechanism s of change and consequently improve efficacy.
Source: Cognitive Therapy and Research - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research