Interventions
depression, breathing, communication skills, depressive
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
The main goals of the PTSC intervention were to help AA midlife women learn how to manage, lower, and control their high blood pressure; expand their repertoire of stress management techniques; increase their physical activity; and improve their nutrition. Study participants were assigned to cohorts of Sister Circles that met once a week, over a 13-week period, for 2 h at a time. The PTSC intervention curriculum included culturally competent modules designed to help AA women manage their stress, an underlying contributor to depression. To that end, two sessions were devoted to stress and depressive symptom management. They were conducted by midlife AA women with extensive mental health expertise (i.e., psychologists or licensed clinical social workers). Each participant was taught general stress-management techniques such as deep breathing, communication skills, and time management strategies. They also developed a stress-management plan. Sister Circle sessions were held in meeting rooms provided by three churches in Washington, D.C.