Supportive Therapy for Adherence to ART(STAART)

Increasing Patient Adherence to HIV Medications: A Prospective Intervention Study

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a psycho-educational intervention can help people living with HIV handle the changes of treatment adherence.

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two study groups:

• Group 1: participants in this group will engage in weekly psycho-educational sessions with an HIV therapist for four weeks prior to starting their regimens. The sessions will cover topics such as becoming active in treatment care, improving coping abilities and developing skills for treatment adherence. They will also involve questionnaires and readings.
• Group 2 (the control group):participants in this group will simply receive their regular treatment regimens.

Inclusion Criteria:

• be at least 18 years of age
• have viral load above 500 copies/ml
• not be currently on HAART
• be able to read and speak English/French

Exclusion Criteria:

• current Substance Abuse
• actively psychotic or suicidal