title: Problematic alcohol use among individuals with HIV: relations with everyday memory functioning and HIV symptom severity.
abstract: Problematic alcohol use has been shown to negatively impact cognitive functions germane to achieving optimal HIV health outcomes. The present study, a secondary data analysis, examined the impact of problematic alcohol use on aspects of everyday memory functioning in a sample of 172 HIV-infected individuals (22 % female; Mage = 48.37 years, SD = 8.64; 39 % Black/non-Hispanic). Additionally, we tested whether self-reported memory functioning explained the relation between problematic alcohol use and HIV symptom severity. Results indicated that problematic patterns of alcohol use were associated with lower total memory functioning, retrieval (e.g., recall-difficulty) and memory for activity (e.g., what you did yesterday) and greater HIV symptom severity. Memory functioning mediated the relation between problematic alcohol use and HIV symptom severity. However, the direction of this relation was unclear as HIV symptom severity also mediated the relation between problematic alcohol use and memory functioning. Findings highlight the importance of integrated care for HIV and alcohol use disorders and suggest that routine alcohol and cognitive screenings may bolster health outcomes among this vulnerable population.
authors: Center for Health Care Evaluation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, 795 Willow Rd (MPD-152), Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA, aheinz@stanford.edu.
authors: Adrienne J
authors: AJ
authors: Heinz
authors: Kethera A
authors: KA
authors: Fogler
authors: Michael E
authors: ME
authors: Newcomb
authors: Jodie A
authors: JA
authors: Trafton
authors: Marcel O
authors: MO
authors: Bonn-Miller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents