Momentary Affect Regulation – Safer Sex Intervention (MARSSI)

Organization

Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School

Project Team

Lydia Shrier, MD, MPH – Principal Investigator

Cassandra Jonestrask – Clinical Research Coordinator

Pamela Burke, PhD, RN, FNP, PNP – Motivational Interviewing Expert

Sabra Katz-Wise, PhD – Qualitative Evaluation Expert

Project Summary

MARSSI combines brief clinic-based sexual risk reduction counseling and cognitive-behavioral skill teaching with mobile self-monitoring and responsive messaging upon report of poor affective states and maladaptive cognitive states. The messages will prompt use of cognitive-behavioral strategies that challenge depressogenic thinking, promote affect regulation, and encourage healthy, enjoyable behaviors in the natural life context in which negative thoughts and unhealthy behaviors occur. MARSSI capitalizes on the advantages of in-person counseling, while keeping this more resource-intensive component brief.