Young adults with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) and dermatomyositis (JDM) have greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than the general population. Poor cardiovascular health (CVH), defined as protective factors against CVD, is common in adolescents and young adults with JSLE/JDM (AYA-JSLE/JDM). Psychological stress worsens CVH behaviors and inflammation, leading to higher lifetime risk of CVD. Dr. Ardalan conducted the Lupus Erythematosus and Dermatomyositis Stress & Cardiovascular Health (LEADS-CV) study, which showed that nearly all JSLE/JDM patients need to improve CVH behaviors, such as diet and physical activity, and that high stress is associated with worse CVH behaviors especially in AYA-JSLE/JDM. His prior work also shows that most AYA-JSLE/JDM experiencing high stress cannot access mental health specialists. He will use this CARRA-AF Bridge Award to better understand how AYA-JSLE/JDM think about their risk of CVD, need for CVH behavior intervention, and measurement of stress. This will allow him to resubmit a competitive K23 grant proposal to develop a stress reduction and CVH behavior promotion intervention tailored to AYA-JSLE/JDM.