Evidence from high‐income countries on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to improve mental health, wellbeing and quality of life for adults living with HIV: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

ABSTRACT Introduction There is a need to synthesize recent evidence on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to improve mental health, quality of life and wellbeing in adults living with HIV in high‐income countries. A systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted to address this resea...

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Main Authors: Ada R. Miltz, Janey Sewell, Fumiyo Nakagawa, Sophia M. Rein, Lorraine Sherr, Alison Rodger, Andrew N. Phillips, Sanne vanLuenen, Nadia Garnefski, Vivian Kraaij, Colette J. Smith, Valentina Cambiano, Fiona C. Lampe
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Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-04-01
Series:Journal of the International AIDS Society
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.26424
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author Ada R. Miltz
Janey Sewell
Fumiyo Nakagawa
Sophia M. Rein
Lorraine Sherr
Alison Rodger
Andrew N. Phillips
Sanne vanLuenen
Nadia Garnefski
Vivian Kraaij
Colette J. Smith
Valentina Cambiano
Fiona C. Lampe
author_facet Ada R. Miltz
Janey Sewell
Fumiyo Nakagawa
Sophia M. Rein
Lorraine Sherr
Alison Rodger
Andrew N. Phillips
Sanne vanLuenen
Nadia Garnefski
Vivian Kraaij
Colette J. Smith
Valentina Cambiano
Fiona C. Lampe
author_sort Ada R. Miltz
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Introduction There is a need to synthesize recent evidence on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to improve mental health, quality of life and wellbeing in adults living with HIV in high‐income countries. A systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted to address this research gap. Methods Medline, Embase, Psychinfo and Web of science were searched (from 2008 to December 2023). In total, 67 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of psychosocial intervention among adults living with HIV in high‐income countries were eligible. Results In the meta‐analysis, there was an overall positive effect of interventions on reducing depression (N = 40; standardized mean difference [SMD] −0.19 [95% CI: −0.29, −0.10]), anxiety (N = 15; SMD −0.12 [−0.23, −0.02]), stress (N = 13; SMD −0.22 [−0.41, −0.04]), and other measures of poor wellbeing (N = 19; SMD −0.18 [−0.35, −0.02]) and increasing levels of coping/self‐efficacy (N = 8; SMD 0.17 [0.04, 0.31]). For depression, interventions that used symptom screening above a threshold score to identify eligible individuals were more effective than those without such an eligibility criterion (SMD −0.29 vs. ‐0.10, p = 0.023). Interventions compared to standard care controls had a greater effect on depression versus interventions compared to not standard care controls, when the latter category included standard care controls that received intentional support (SMD ‐0.28 vs. ‐0.11, p = 0.035). There was also weak evidence of an overall positive effect on: reducing stigma (N = 7; SMD −0.17 [−0.35, 0.02]), and improving social support/participation (N = 6; SMD 0.17 [−0.02, 0.35]), mental health quality of life (N = 12; SMD 0.09 [−0.01, 0.19]), physical health quality of life (N = 11; SMD 0.07 [−0.02, 0.16]) and quality of social life (N = 6; SMD 0.10 [−0.04, 0.24]). There was no evidence found for an effect on loneliness, although data were limited. Discussion Pooled effect estimates were small or small tomoderate. In line with previous literature, there was no evidence of differential effects on depression according to the intervention type (psychotherapeutic vs. other). Conclusions Evidence from RCTs suggest that psychosocial interventions are effective in improving mental health for adults living with HIV in high‐income settings. Interventions were more effective at reducing depression when targeted at those screening positive for mental health symptoms and when compared to a standard care only control group. There was some evidence that longer, more intensive interventions were more effective.
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spelling doaj-art-d51f1ae12f8045c4a7a59ecdefaf4bf62025-08-20T02:33:11ZengWileyJournal of the International AIDS Society1758-26522025-04-01284n/an/a10.1002/jia2.26424Evidence from high‐income countries on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to improve mental health, wellbeing and quality of life for adults living with HIV: a systematic review and meta‐analysisAda R. Miltz0Janey Sewell1Fumiyo Nakagawa2Sophia M. Rein3Lorraine Sherr4Alison Rodger5Andrew N. Phillips6Sanne vanLuenen7Nadia Garnefski8Vivian Kraaij9Colette J. Smith10Valentina Cambiano11Fiona C. Lampe12Institute for Global Health University College London London UKInstitute for Global Health University College London London UKInstitute for Global Health University College London London UKInstitute for Global Health University College London London UKInstitute for Global Health University College London London UKInstitute for Global Health University College London London UKInstitute for Global Health University College London London UKSection of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences Leiden University Leiden The NetherlandsSection of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences Leiden University Leiden The NetherlandsSection of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences Leiden University Leiden The NetherlandsInstitute for Global Health University College London London UKInstitute for Global Health University College London London UKInstitute for Global Health University College London London UKABSTRACT Introduction There is a need to synthesize recent evidence on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to improve mental health, quality of life and wellbeing in adults living with HIV in high‐income countries. A systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted to address this research gap. Methods Medline, Embase, Psychinfo and Web of science were searched (from 2008 to December 2023). In total, 67 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of psychosocial intervention among adults living with HIV in high‐income countries were eligible. Results In the meta‐analysis, there was an overall positive effect of interventions on reducing depression (N = 40; standardized mean difference [SMD] −0.19 [95% CI: −0.29, −0.10]), anxiety (N = 15; SMD −0.12 [−0.23, −0.02]), stress (N = 13; SMD −0.22 [−0.41, −0.04]), and other measures of poor wellbeing (N = 19; SMD −0.18 [−0.35, −0.02]) and increasing levels of coping/self‐efficacy (N = 8; SMD 0.17 [0.04, 0.31]). For depression, interventions that used symptom screening above a threshold score to identify eligible individuals were more effective than those without such an eligibility criterion (SMD −0.29 vs. ‐0.10, p = 0.023). Interventions compared to standard care controls had a greater effect on depression versus interventions compared to not standard care controls, when the latter category included standard care controls that received intentional support (SMD ‐0.28 vs. ‐0.11, p = 0.035). There was also weak evidence of an overall positive effect on: reducing stigma (N = 7; SMD −0.17 [−0.35, 0.02]), and improving social support/participation (N = 6; SMD 0.17 [−0.02, 0.35]), mental health quality of life (N = 12; SMD 0.09 [−0.01, 0.19]), physical health quality of life (N = 11; SMD 0.07 [−0.02, 0.16]) and quality of social life (N = 6; SMD 0.10 [−0.04, 0.24]). There was no evidence found for an effect on loneliness, although data were limited. Discussion Pooled effect estimates were small or small tomoderate. In line with previous literature, there was no evidence of differential effects on depression according to the intervention type (psychotherapeutic vs. other). Conclusions Evidence from RCTs suggest that psychosocial interventions are effective in improving mental health for adults living with HIV in high‐income settings. Interventions were more effective at reducing depression when targeted at those screening positive for mental health symptoms and when compared to a standard care only control group. There was some evidence that longer, more intensive interventions were more effective.https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.26424anxietydepressionHIVinterventionpsychosocialRCT
spellingShingle Ada R. Miltz
Janey Sewell
Fumiyo Nakagawa
Sophia M. Rein
Lorraine Sherr
Alison Rodger
Andrew N. Phillips
Sanne vanLuenen
Nadia Garnefski
Vivian Kraaij
Colette J. Smith
Valentina Cambiano
Fiona C. Lampe
Evidence from high‐income countries on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to improve mental health, wellbeing and quality of life for adults living with HIV: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Journal of the International AIDS Society
anxiety
depression
HIV
intervention
psychosocial
RCT
title Evidence from high‐income countries on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to improve mental health, wellbeing and quality of life for adults living with HIV: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
title_full Evidence from high‐income countries on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to improve mental health, wellbeing and quality of life for adults living with HIV: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
title_fullStr Evidence from high‐income countries on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to improve mental health, wellbeing and quality of life for adults living with HIV: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
title_full_unstemmed Evidence from high‐income countries on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to improve mental health, wellbeing and quality of life for adults living with HIV: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
title_short Evidence from high‐income countries on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to improve mental health, wellbeing and quality of life for adults living with HIV: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
title_sort evidence from high income countries on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to improve mental health wellbeing and quality of life for adults living with hiv a systematic review and meta analysis
topic anxiety
depression
HIV
intervention
psychosocial
RCT
url https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.26424
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