Cognitive functioning, depression, and HIV medication adherence in India: a randomized pilot trial.
Objective: India is home to the third-largest number of people living with HIV in the world, and no-cost antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been available across the country since 2004. However, rates of adherence to ART are often subpar in India, and interventions to increase adherence are warranted. Cognitive impairment and depression have been associated with ART non-adherence, and may also limit the impact of behavioral interventions designed to improve adherence. Studies have not evaluated the impact of cognitive impairment and depression on response to adherence interventions in India.Methods: Individuals new to ART (≤12 months prescribed) were recruited from a public hospital in Chandigarh, India. Participants (N= 80) were randomized to either a group medication adherence intervention (MAI) or an enhanced standard of care (ESOC) condition. The MAI consisted of three monthly gender-concordant group cognitive-behavioral sessions addressing HIV and ART, adherence, and HIV-related coping and social support. Participants were assessed at baseline for depression and cognitive functioning, and assessed monthly for adherence by pill count.Results: Adherence among participants receiving the MAI improved by about one day's dose over the course of the study, and no improvement was noted among those in the ESOC. Additionally, high rates of cognitive impairment (57%) and depression (25%) were identified among participants. There was no evidence that cognitive impairment moderated response to the intervention. However, while non-depressed participants benefitted from the intervention, depressed participants failed to show the same improvement.Conclusions: Results of this pilot study suggest that group behavioral interventions can be an effective strategy to promote ART adherence in this population, even among those demonstrating cognitive impairment. However, because of the negative impact of depression on adherence, future studies should continue to develop strategies to identify and treat it among people living with HIV in India.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine , 1400 NW 10th Ave Suite 404A, Miami , FL 33136 , USA.
Ryan
R
Cook
Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University , 1520 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta , GA 30322 , USA.
Drenna
D
Waldrop-Valverde
Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research , Chandigarh , India.
Aman
A
Sharma
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine , 1400 NW 10th Ave Suite 404A, Miami , FL 33136 , USA.
Szonja
S
Vamos
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine , 1400 NW 10th Ave Suite 404A, Miami , FL 33136 , USA.
Biraaj
B
Mahajan
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine , 1400 NW 10th Ave Suite 404A, Miami , FL 33136 , USA.
Stephen M
SM
Weiss
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine , 1400 NW 10th Ave Suite 404A, Miami , FL 33136 , USA.
Mahendra
M
Kumar
Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research , Chandigarh , India.
Ritu
R
Nehra
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine , 1400 NW 10th Ave Suite 404A, Miami , FL 33136 , USA.
Deborah L
DL
Jones
HIV; India; adherence; cognitive functioning; depression