NEEDLE-SHARING - A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY OF PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS

The authors examined the psychosocial correlates of needle-sharing beh avior at two points in time (T-1 and T-2) by use of a prospective long itudinal design. Subjects were 278 male intravenous drug users, 111 of whom were HIV-positive. All subjects were given structured questionna ires by trained, ethnically matched interviewers. Pearson correlation coefficients (rs) and hierarchical regression analyses were done to ex amine interrelationships among T-1 psychosocial domains, T-1 needle-sh aring, and T-2 needle-sharing. T-1 psychosocial/personality factors pr edicting T-2 needle-sharing included unconventionality, poor emotional control, and poor intrapsychic functioning. The relationship of T-1 n eedle-sharing to T-2 needle-sharing was buffered by the T-1 psychosoci al protective factors. The findings supported a mediational model, in which personality and peer factors predicted T-1 needle-sharing, which served as the mediator for T-2 needle-sharing.