Intervention Targeting Substance Using Older Adults With HIV

Intervention Targeting Substance Using Older Adults With HIV

The proposed study uses a randomized controlled experimental design to evaluate the efficacy of a brief intervention using spiritual self schema (3S+) counseling to simultaneously target HIV health outcomes, and substance use among alcohol and/or drug dependent HIV positive older adults (age 50+), relative to an attention control condition. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either: (1) 12 sessions of 3S+ counseling, adapted for the present study to target both non-injection drug use, drinking, and HIV health; or (2) 12 sessions of education about HIV health and the associated with alcohol and drug use that will serve as an attention-control.

Inclusion Criteria:

• HIV+ (provide HIV medication bottle with name on it)
• Age 50 or older (provide picture ID with DOB at baseline)
• Report current alcohol/drug dependence (AUDIT score of 8 or DAST-10 score of 4 on screener; C-DIS at baseline)
• On a prescribed HAART medication regimen and reports sub-optimal adherence (self-report missed at least 3 days in last 30 at 1 pill/day that is 90%)
• Communicate with staff and complete a survey in English or Spanish (English only for the pilot)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current intravenous drug use (self-report at screener and baseline)
• Currently in a methadone drug treatment program (screener self-report)
• Unstable, serious psychiatric symptoms (SCID-Psych at baseline)
• Currently suicidal/homicidal (SCID-Psych at baseline)
• Gross cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental at baseline)
• Current enrollment in alcohol/drug treatment or HIV study (screener self-report)