# Feasibility of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Intervention for Black Women Living with HIV

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2021 · $136,210

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The overall objective of this Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award is to support and develop
Dr. Chapman Lambert’s transition to an independent investigator in mind and body research with a focus on
developing, integrating, and testing mind and body strategies to improve clinical, psychological, and physical
outcomes among African American (AA) women living with HIV (WLWH). HIV viral load (VL) suppression among
AA WLWH are suboptimal when compared to women of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Two essential self-
care behaviors for people living with HIV (PLWH) to achieve and sustain HIV VL suppression ad improve health
outcomes and survival are adherence to antiretroviral therapy and scheduled medical visits. Medical visit
adherence is suboptimal among women in general, but VL suppression rates among AA WLWH are suboptimal
with AA WLWH being nearly 3 times more likely than White WLWH not to achieve viral suppression. One
important factor associated with adherence behaviors is stressful life events including traumatic life events. Thus,
there is a critical need to develop culturally appropriate interventions aimed reducing stress and improving
adherence behaviors and VL suppression. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), developed by Jon
Kabat-Zinn, has the potential to reduced stress through self-regulation of attention and awareness to stressful
events. MBSR has demonstrated efficacy in improving stress management, psychological distress, physical and
psychological symptoms, quality of life, and coping as well as ART adherence in predominately white and male
patient populations. We propose to culturally adapt the MSBR intervention for AA WLWH to reduce stress and
enhance HIV self-care behaviors and VL suppression, which has the potential to attenuate prominent racial and
gender disparities experienced by AA WLWH in the US. Specifically, we aim to 1) culturally adapt the MBSR
intervention for AA WLWH using ADAPT-ITT; 2) pre-pilot the adapted intervention via an open non-randomized
pilot study to further refine the culturally adapted intervention; and 3) conduct a 2-armed pilot test of the
behavioral intervention compared to standard of care to assess the feasibility and acceptability the adapted
MBSR intervention for AA WLWH. Findings from this study will provide an important first step in establishing my
program of research as an independent investigator in stress-related morbidity and HIV treatment adherence. In
addition, findings maybe applicable for other chronic conditions and marginalized populations living with and
without HIV.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10213659
- **Project number:** 5K23AT010567-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Crystal LaShonda Chapman Lambert
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $136,210
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-15 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10213659

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10213659, Feasibility of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Intervention for Black Women Living with HIV (5K23AT010567-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10213659. Licensed CC0.

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