Telephone-delivered behavioral support interventions for persons living with HIV are the focus of the Heckman and Carlson (2006) and Stein et al. (2006) studies published in this issue. The specific interventions tested and the decision to offer them by telephone were stimulated by the prevalence of mental health stressors that compromise adjustment and effective coping in this population as well as commonly experienced barriers to receiving care. As noted in their reviews of the literature, there is considerable although mixed support for the efficacy of telephone based interventions with a number of psychological and health problems in various populations. The 229 participants in the Heckman and Carlson study, being served by AIDS service organizations at the time of study enrollment and living in rural areas, were randomly assigned to usual care.

Reprinted with Permission from Springer's Open Choice