Reducing internalized HIV stigma with Intervention Mapping: The design, implementation, and evaluation of RESET (RESilience and Empowerment Training)

HIV is a highly stigmatized condition, and negative beliefs about HIV and people with HIV are frequently internalized. This paper describes how we designed, implemented, and evaluated RESET, an intervention aiming to reduce internalized HIV stigma among people with HIV in the Netherlands. This face-to-face, three-session workshop series for people with HIV was designed, implemented, and evaluated with Intervention Mapping, a systematic approach to behavior change that uses theory and evidence, as well as participatory processes, in the planning of interventions. Intervention Mapping comprises six steps: 1) conducting a needs assessment and drafting a logic model of the problem; 2) specifying intervention outcomes and objectives, and drafting a logic model of change; 3) designing the intervention by selecting theory and evidence-based methods for behavior change and then developing their practical applications; 4) producing and pre-testing the intervention; 5) planning for implementation; and 6) planning process and effect evaluation. For each step, we describe the tasks involved and how we approached each task as we designed, implemented, and evaluated RESET. By transparently reporting how RESET was developed, we illuminate success and challenges in designing, implementing, and evaluating HIV stigma interventions. We also demonstrate how Intervention Mapping can be leveraged to develop effective interventions for reducing stigma, including internalized HIV stigma.