The Role of Emotional Avoidance, the Patient-Provider Relationship, and Other Social Support in ART Adherence for HIV+ Individuals.

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is associated with positive health outcomes among HIV+ patients. However, non-adherence remains high. Though factors that account for non-adherence remain unclear, social support has been consistently associated with ART adherence. As such, identifying malleable factors that hinder patients' ability to form supportive relationships may have consequence for improving ART adherence. Emotional avoidance (EA) may be one such factor given that it has been linked to difficulties in social situations. The present study examined relations among EA, the patient-provider relationship, other sources of social support, and ART adherence within a sample of HIV+ ART-prescribed patients. High EA was related to poor adherence and patient-provider relationships. EA was indirectly related to poor adherence through poorer patient-provider interactions. The indirect relation of EA to ART adherence through other sources of social support was not significant. Implications for developing targeted behavioral interventions focused on improving ART adherence are discussed.

Examining the role of emotional avoidance in the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity and worry.

A growing body of literature suggests that worry is a cognitive activity functioning to avoid unpleasant internal experiences such as negative thoughts, emotions, and somatic responses. Given the highly aversive internal events associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), individuals experiencing PTSD symptoms following exposure to a traumatic event may be particularly motivated to engage in avoidant regulation strategies such as worry. Surprisingly, however, few studies to date have examined the relationship between PTSD and worry as well as potential factors that might explain this association. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the association between PTSD symptom severity and worry and the extent to which emotional avoidance explains this relationship. To this end, 207 college students with a history of traumatic exposure (meeting Criterion A for a PTSD diagnosis) completed a series of questionnaires assessing history of exposure to potentially traumatic events, PTSD symptom severity, emotional avoidance tendencies, and worry. Results demonstrated that PTSD symptom severity was positively associated with worry and emotional avoidance. Further, emotional avoidance was found to fully account for this relationship, providing support for the proposed emotionally avoidant function of worry. The implications of these findings for future research and the treatment of worry among individuals with a history of traumatic exposure are discussed.

The Process of Adapting the Evidence-Based Treatment for Tobacco Dependence for Smokers of Lower Socioeconomic Status.

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disease and contributes significantly to socioeconomic health disparities. The prevalence of smoking among individuals of lower socioeconomic status (SES) in the US, many of whom are African American (AA), is three to four times greater than the prevalence of smoking among individuals of higher SES. The disparity in tobacco dependence treatment outcomes between lower and higher SES smokers contributes to tobacco-related health disparities and calls for adapting evidence-based treatment to more fully meet the needs of lower SES smokers. AIMS: We sought to adapt the evidence-based treatment for tobacco dependence using recommended frameworks for adapting evidence-based treatments. METHODS: We systematically applied the recommended steps for adapting evidence-based treatments described by Barrera and Castro and Lau. The steps included information gathering, preliminary adaptation design, preliminary adaptation tests, and adaptation refinement. We also applied the PEN-3 Model for incorporating AA values and experiences into treatment approaches and a community-engaged approach. RESULTS/FINDINGS: Findings from each step in the process contributed to the results. The final results were incorporated into a revised treatment called the RITCh Study Tobacco Dependence Treatment Manual and Toolkit. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first adaptation of evidence-based treatment for tobacco dependence that has systematically applied these recommended frameworks. The efficacy of the treatment to reduce treatment outcome disparities is now being examined in a randomized controlled trial in which the revised treatment is being compared with a standard, individualized cognitive-behavioral approach.

HIV treatment adherence measurement and reporting concordance in youth with perinatally acquired HIV infection and their caregivers.

We examined youth-caregiver adherence report concordance and association of different adherence self-report items with HIV RNA viral load (VL) in perinatally HIV-infected adolescents assessed in 2003-2008. Youth (n=194; 9-19 years) and their caregivers completed a multi-step 2-day recall, one item on last time medications were missed, and one item on responsibility for managing youths' medications. Across early (9-12 years), middle (13-15 years), and late (16+years) adolescence, both youth and caregivers reported having primary responsibility for youths' medication regimens and demonstrated poor to moderate youth-caregiver concordance on adherence items. Responses to the last-time-missed item had greater association with VL than did the 2-day recall, particularly for longer times (e.g., past month). By age group, significant associations with VL were found for caregiver reports in early adolescence, caregiver and youth reports in middle adolescence, and youth reports in late adolescence, suggesting that caregivers offer better reports of youth adherence during early adolescence, but by later adolescence, youth are better informants. Although design limitations preclude definitive conclusions about the reliability and validity of specific adherence items, this study suggests important issues related to age group, caregiver vs. youth informants of adherence, and recall periods for child adherence assessment that warrant further research.

Transportation-related barriers to care among African American women living with HIV/AIDS: "What you getting out of the cab for?"

Transportation-related problems have been consistently reported as barriers to accessing and remaining in HIV medical care, particularly among African American women living in under-resourced areas. With emphasis on the Southern region of the United States, this commentary presents a brief overview of the HIV/AIDS epidemic among African Americans, barriers to remaining in HIV care, and pilot data from a study conducted among African American women living in Mississippi. A small focus group study was conducted to examine the relative influence of transportation-related barriers on attendance and motivation to attend HIV medical care appointments. Eight African American women (mean age of 43.50, SD = 10.82) who were engaged in medical care participated in one focus group session. Time since diagnosis ranged from 6 to 17 years. Participants reported transportation-related barriers that were generally consistent with previous research, including lack of personal transportation, limited financial resources to pay family and friends for transportation or gasoline, and inconveniences associated with sharing van services with other patients. Participants appeared to have learned how to successfully navigate these barriers in order to remain in care. Interestingly, participants reported significant fear of disclosure related to use of transportation services provided by insurance providers and community organizations. Specifically, many of the women indicated that family, friends, and neighbors questioned them about where they were going and why they used taxis. These types of encounters might influence whether individuals utilize available transportation services. Participants provided several recommendations for improving the transportation system. Additional research is warranted to obtain a more representative sampling of opinions among African American women living in under-resourced areas.

Correlates of posttraumatic growth among African Americans living with HIV/AIDS in Mississippi.

Individuals diagnosed with HIV face a host of challenges post-diagnosis. At risk for negative psychological outcomes, persons living with HIV/AIDS may also experience posttraumatic growth (i.e., positive cognitive and emotional changes that may occur following HIV diagnosis). African Americans, in particular, experience poorer psychosocial and behavioral outcomes and greater HIV-related health disparities, and also tend to report more posttraumatic growth than European Americans. This exploratory study examined demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral correlates of posttraumatic growth among 45 African American adults living with HIV in Mississippi. Statistical methods included correlational analyses and independent sample t-tests. As measured by the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, posttraumatic growth was associated with several demographic (i.e., age, education, employment, income), psychosocial (i.e., social support, coping self-efficacy, psychological distress [negative]), and behavioral variables (i.e., church attendance, abstinence from drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes). Findings indicate that African Americans living with HIV in underserved, under-resourced areas are capable of perceiving posttraumatic growth post-diagnosis. Moreover, research has shown that perceived positive growth is associated with important sociocultural, psychosocial, and behavioral factors that directly and/or indirectly influence health and treatment outcomes. Implications of findings are discussed.