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Therapy Targeting Depression and HIV Treatment Adherence (The TRIAD Study)

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Mass General Brigham

Status

Completed

Conditions

HIV
Depression
HIV Infections

Treatments

Behavioral: Information and supportive psychotherapy (ISP) for adherence and depression (ISP-AD)
Behavioral: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for adherence and depression (CBT-AD)
Behavioral: Life-steps adherence treatment

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other
NIH

Identifiers

NCT00951028
DAHBR 9A-ASGA
1R01MH084757-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
R01MH084757 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will test a therapy for both helping people adhere to their HIV medication regimens and treating them for depression.

Full description

People infected with HIV are more likely to suffer from depression than those not infected, with studies finding anywhere from 20% to 50% of HIV-infected individuals having significant depressive symptoms. Depression, in addition to causing persistent sadness and inability to feel pleasure, is related to a lack of HIV treatment adherence. Treatment adherence (making sure to take every pill as prescribed by doctors) is critically important to successful treatment of HIV, because missing even a few doses gives the HIV virus an opportunity to develop immunity to the medication. Poor adherence is related to worse medical outcomes, but even a small, 10% improvement rate in adherence may improve these outcomes. This study will test the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that addresses both depression and treatment adherence for HIV-infected people.

Participation in this study will last 1 year, including follow-up visits. All participants will complete an initial one-visit intervention addressing treatment adherence. Then after 2 weeks, participants will be randomly assigned to one of three conditions: CBT for HIV medication adherence and depression (CBT-AD), information and supportive psychotherapy for HIV medication adherence and depression (ISP-AD), or enhanced treatment as usual (ETAU). Participants receiving CBT-AD and ISP-AD will complete 12 therapy sessions over 4 months and will be asked to report any changes to their psychological or HIV treatments. CBT-AD will involve learning to identify and change problematic patterns of thought and behavior, while ISP-AD will involve education and supportive psychotherapy. Participants receiving ETAU will receive only the initial session on HIV medication adherence and will be asked about their psychological and HIV treatment every other week for 4 months.

Major study assessments will take place at baseline and after 4, 8, and 12 months. Assessments will include completing diagnostic interviews and questionnaires, measuring medication adherence through an electronic pill cap, and determining CD4 cell count and viral load (indicators of HIV treatment effectiveness).

Enrollment

240 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • HIV-infected
  • Current diagnosis of depression or prescribed an antidepressant medication with at least some residual symptoms (e.g., clinical global impressions [CGI] scale score of 2 or greater)
  • Prescribed a stable regimen of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for HIV for at least 2 months

Exclusion criteria

  • Active, untreated, and unstable major mental illness (i.e., untreated psychosis or mania) that would interfere with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment for depression
  • Diagnosis with any primary psychotic disorder, even if treated
  • Treatment with CBT within the past year

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

Single Blind

240 participants in 3 patient groups

Enhanced treatment as usual
Active Comparator group
Description:
Participants will receive the life-steps intervention and treatment as usual.
Treatment:
Behavioral: Life-steps adherence treatment
CBT for adherence and depression (CBT-AD)
Experimental group
Description:
Participants will receive the life-steps and CBT-AD interventions.
Treatment:
Behavioral: Life-steps adherence treatment
Behavioral: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for adherence and depression (CBT-AD)
ISP for adherence and depression (ISP-AD)
Active Comparator group
Description:
Participants will receive the life-steps and ISP-AD interventions.
Treatment:
Behavioral: Information and supportive psychotherapy (ISP) for adherence and depression (ISP-AD)
Behavioral: Life-steps adherence treatment

Trial contacts and locations

4

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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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