Co-Investigator: Sanna Thompson, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator: Lynn Rew, Ph.D., UT School of Nursing
Homeless young women, 18-23 years of age, are the most vulnerable of homeless groups. They experience many dire health outcomes such as sexually transmitted infections, Hepatitis B and C, and unplanned pregnancies, related particularly to substance use and concomitant sexual behaviors. At the same time, they also have inherent strengths such as hope, self-efficacy, and resilience that represent some of their psychological capital. To date very few theory-driven interventions have been developed and tested in this population in settings where they seek health and social services. Findings from this NIH-funded study will contribute to the further development and testing of theory-driven interventions that are effective and that can be delivered at little cost in multiple public health service settings.
As co-investigator on this R21 award to Dr. Lynn Rew, UT School of Nursing, Dr. Sanna Thompson will oversee intervention development and implementation, data collection and analysis.