hiv/psychological distress

Although alcohol use is associated with depression, it is unclear if brief alcohol reduction interventions can ameliorate depression and psychological distress among people with HIV (PWH). We use data from a two-arm randomised controlled trial to examine this question. PWH on antiretroviral treatment (ART) were randomly assigned to receive a brief intervention or treatment as usual (n = 622). Screening was done with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), AUDIT-C, Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression inventory and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, at baseline and at 3- and 6-months post-baseline...

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy often intensifies psychological vulnerabilities in women living with HIV (WLHIV) due to increased stressors such as health concerns, infant infection risks, and the management of special neonatal needs like prophylactic antiretroviral care. METHODOLOGY: The study was conducted in four HIV treatment centres with participant selection based on the following criteria: an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score of 13 or above, gestational age between 14 to 40 weeks, less than five years of antiretroviral therapy (ART) usage, and history of partner conflict...

OBJECTIVES: Black Americans bear the greatest burden of HIV, accounting for 43% of new diagnoses. Yet Black Americans also evidence the lowest utilization rates of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a highly effective biomedical strategy for preventing HIV infection. Predictors of PrEP acceptance vary; however, little is known about psychological distress, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, as a predictor. DESIGN: In this cross-sectional study, n  = 195 Black Americans, evidencing behaviors found in the research literature to heighten risk for contracting HIV (e...

OBJECTIVE: LGBTQ-affirmative cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) addresses the adverse impacts of minority stress. However, this treatment has rarely been tested in randomized controlled trials with LGBTQ youth and never using an asynchronous online platform for broad reach. This study examined the feasibility, acceptability, preliminary efficacy, and multi-level stigma moderators of LGBTQ-affirmative internet-based CBT (ICBT). METHOD: Participants were 120 LGBTQ youth (ages 16-25; 37...

OBJECTIVE: Loneliness is prevalent in people with HIV (PWH) and associated with adverse health-related consequences, including depression. Chronic inflammation has been linked to depression in PWH, though its association with loneliness is less well established. Simultaneous examination of inflammation, loneliness and depression is needed to clarify these relationships. This study investigated the relationship between loneliness and inflammation, and the effects of loneliness and inflammation on depression in PWH...

The brief symptom inventory (BSI), a 53-item measure that assesses psychological distress, is a popular tool for measuring mental health symptoms among youth living with HIV (YLH) in the United States (US); however, it has been used inconsistently with this population. This scoping review summarizes discrepancies in the use of the BSI to identify opportunities to improve systematism and make recommendations for clinicians and researchers, and highlights correlates of psychological distress among YLH as measured by the BSI...

BACKGROUND: Social isolation and loneliness are associated with living with a chronic condition particularly where stigma is a factor. Our study aimed to examine the lived experience of adolescents living with HIV in relation to isolation because of their diagnosis and consequences of disclosure. Giddens' structuration theory was used as an analytic framework to identify the potential mechanisms underlying adolescents living with HIV's experiences. METHOD: Longitudinal in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 adolescents living with HIV aged 15-24 years with each participant taking part in three interviews (total 60) between September 2020 and October 2021...

Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) after HIV diagnosis prevents HIV transmission, progression of HIV to AIDS and improves quality of life. However, little is known about the barriers to timely ART initiation among patients who test HIV positive in settings different from where they will receive HIV treatment, hence are referred in the routine setting. Therefore, we explored the perspectives of people living with HIV on barriers faced to initiate ART following HIV testing and referral for treatment...

BACKGROUND: The pattern of substance use in Iran is characterized by a high prevalence of opioid use and opioid use disorder (OUD). Although opioid maintenance therapy (OMT) has been introduced in Iran, approximately 50% of people with opioid use disorder remain unreached. Moreover, psychosocial treatment of OUD and common mental health symptoms during OMT is limited. Digital interventions have been shown to improve psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms...

PURPOSE: In research people are often asked to fill out questionnaires about their health and functioning and some of the questions refer to serious health concerns. Typically, these concerns are not identified until the statistician analyses the data. An alternative is to use an individualized measure, the Patient Generated Index (PGI) where people are asked to self-nominate areas of concern which can then be dealt with in real-time. This study estimates the extent to which self-nominated areas of concern related to mood, anxiety and cognition predict the presence or occurrence of brain health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, psychological distress, or cognitive impairment among people aging with HIV at study entry and for successive assessments over 27 months...

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has substantially reshaped health service delivery. Healthcare workers have had to serve more clients, work longer shifts, and operate in conditions of uncertainty. They have experienced multiple stressors related to the additional 'labour of care', including managing the frustration of inadequate therapeutic or symptom relief options, witnessing clients dying, and having to give this news to clients' family members. Ongoing psychological distress among healthcare workers can severely undermine performance, decision-making and well-being...

Evidence accumulated during past years confirm that people living with HIV (PLWH) still have to deal with comorbidities and chronic complications that can increase physical and psychological issues and can affect daily functioning, quality of life and mental health. Moreover, during the COVID-19 pandemic PLWH proved to be a population at increased risk of psychological distress. We explored the ongoing issues and the characteristics of the mental health interventions for which a cohort of Italian PLWH interacted with a psychologist over the past five years...

Psychological distress is increasingly recognized as a barrier to engagement in HIV care, resulting in poor HIV outcomes. HIV-related stigma is a potential driver of distress in people living with HIV (PLWH). We conducted a prospective cohort study in 288 PLWH who newly initiated ART in a Nigeria. We assessed overall stigma (range 40-160) and four stigma subtypes (personalized, disclosure, negative self-image, and public stigma) at enrollment, and assessed psychological distress at enrollment, 6, and 12-months after ART initiation...

OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we investigated the pattern of cognitive difficulties in hospitalized patients due to COVID-19 and its relation with the clinical features of the disease. METHOD: Forty hospitalized patients with COVID-19 [mean age: 46.98 years (SD = 9.30); mean years of education: 13.65 (SD = 2.07) and 40 sex-, age- and education-matched healthy controls completed a set of neuropsychological measures administered by telephone...

Heavy alcohol use is negatively affecting antiretroviral therapy adherence, mental health and health-related quality of life among people living with HIV (PLWH). This paper aims to test the mediation model examining whether changes in depression symptoms mediate in the relationship between health-related quality of life and alcohol use among male PLWH who consume alcohol in India. The study is guided by the stress-coping model, which posits that individuals facing stress may turn to maladaptive coping mechanisms such as alcohol use to alleviate their distress, which includes depression and a low health-related quality of life due to various physical, psychological, and social factors associated with the HIV infection...

Instruments evaluating HIV-related psychological distress (HRPD) in people living with HIV may lack sensitivity to capture patients' psychological burden. We developed a comprehensive scale measuring HRPD and evaluated its psychometric properties. A mixed-method study was conducted from July 2021 to April 2022; it involved a literature review, semistructured interviews ( n = 15), three rounds of panel discussions, two rounds of Delphi studies ( n = 20), a pilot test ( n = 20) to generate new scale items, and a cross-sectional survey ( n = 659) to evaluate the psychometric properties of the HIV-related psychological distress scale...

Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionally impacted by HIV. Discrimination, violence, and psychological distress (PD) may influence engagement with HIV prevention services and amplify HIV vulnerability among this priority population. These dynamics are understudied in the Southern United States. Understanding how these relationships interact is critical to designing effective HIV programs. We examined associations between MSM-related discrimination, MSM-related violence, and severe PD with HIV status among 2017 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance study participants in Memphis, Tennessee...

Chemsex is common among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). Although not always categorised as problematic, a link with psychological distress has been reported and might be exacerbated amongst gbMSM living with HIV, as HIV has been associated with anxiety and depression. A cross-sectional online survey of gbMSM living with HIV (n = 359) was performed incorporating the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and sociodemographic variables including, HIV characteristics, chemsex and sexual behaviours...

BACKGROUND: Development of emotional distress (ED) among adolescents living with perinatally acquired HIV (ALPHIV) affects their adherence behaviour and social and psychological functioning. Data on stressors among ALPHIV demonstrates the gap on the predictors of ED experienced by 'perinatally infected ALHIV' in the Indian socio-cultural milieu. This study aimed to identify the predictors of ED and examine their mediating and moderating role in the development of ED among Indian ALPHIV...

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic and associated measures implemented by authorities have created additional stressors and increased the risk of psychological illnesses among people living with HIV (PLWH). Yet, there is no collective evidence on the mental health status of this population during the global pandemic and associated factors. This scoping review aimed to synthesize the evidence in the current literature related to the mental health outcomes and challenges faced by PLWH during the COVID-19 pandemic, identify the associated factors with psychological distress and summarize various coping strategies to ease these psychological distresses used by this population...