Balancing Lupus Experiences With Stress Strategies

Intervention activities will consist of six weekly sessions of the Arthritis Self-Management Program (ASMP). Sessions will be administered in a group setting with the 15 African American lupus patients randomly assigned to the intervention arm of the study. Fifteen other patients will serve as controls and receive usual care. Patients participating in the stress intervention will receive six weeks of peer led sessions ranging in disease-specific and more general self-help content. The intervention will include homework assignments to practice and record use of session techniques and to complete worksheets regarding session-specific topics and activities. Usual care will include a brief explanation of the disease and relevant literature.