mental health AIDS

Summer 2006 Newsletter / Volume 7, Issue 4

Books & Articles

Bucciardini, R., Murri, R., Guarinieri, M., Starace, F., Martini, M., Vatrella, A., Cafaro, L., Fantoni, M., Grisetti, R., d'Arminio Monforte, A., Fragola, V., Arcieri, R., Del Borgo, C., Tramarin, A., Massella, M., Lorenzetti, D., & Vella, S. (2006). ISSQoL: A new questionnaire for evaluating the quality of life of people living with HIV in the HAART era. Quality of Life Research, 15(3), 377-390.

Italian investigators designed the self-administered Istituto Superiore di Sanità-Quality of Life (ISSQoL) Survey to measure health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a way "consistent with the new needs and changes introduced by the use of HAART" (p. 378). "The final version of ISSQoL includes two sections: HRQoL Core Evaluation Form (9 domains) and Additional Important Areas for HRQoL (6 domains). ... The Additional Important Areas for HRQoL include social support, interaction with medical staff, treatment impact, body changes, life planning, and motherhood/fatherhood" (p. 377). Importantly, people living with HIV were involved in all phases of survey development.

Ferrando, S.J., & Nims, C. (2006). HIV-associated mania treated with electroconvulsive therapy and highly-active antiretroviral therapy. Psychosomatics, 47(2), 170-174.

"This extraordinary case of AIDS mania that went initially undetected but was ultimately successfully treated with ECT and HAART, underscores the endemic persistence of HIV and the potential for this virus to present with neuropsychiatric symptoms" (p. 173).

Martin, J.I. (2006). Transcendence among gay men: Implications for HIV prevention. Sexualities, 9(2), 214-235.

"This article presents a critique of HIV prevention research and practice with gay men in light of reports that HIV seroprevalence appears to be increasing in this population. Central to this critique is the possibility that people may have a need for transcendence, which some gay men might seek to satisfy through sexual experience. Theories underpinning HIV prevention generally do not account for such nonrational aspects of sexuality, and they fail to acknowledge the impact of differential values on people's health behaviours" (p. 214).

Porche, D.J., & Willis, D.G. (2006). Depression in HIV-infected men. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 27(4), 391-401.

"HIV-infected men experience the three most common depressive disorders – major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder. Comorbidity associated with the dual diagnosis of HIV infection and common depressive disorders in men is a critical men's health issue. This article's purpose is to increase health care professionals' awareness and knowledge regarding the significant impact of a dual diagnosis of HIV infection and depression on men's health" (p. 391).

Solomon, J., Card, J.J., & Malow, R.M. (2006). Adapting efficacious interventions: Advancing translational research in HIV prevention. Evaluation & the Health Professions, 29(2), 162-194.

"This article ... offer[s] tips for researchers on how to adapt an HIV prevention program proven efficacious ... to meet the needs of groups that differ culturally from those with whom the program was initially validated. We also offer suggestions for how researchers can help build the capacity of service providers to conduct adaptations that are based on research-based principles. The article places particular emphasis on the importance of modifying an efficacious program to meet the needs of its new target population and community context while retaining fidelity ... to its core components, which were, in all likelihood, responsible for its efficaciousness in the original ... controlled trials" (p. 163).

Strathdee, S.A., & Patterson, T.L. (2006). Behavioral interventions for HIV-positive and HCV-positive drug users. AIDS & Behavior, 10(2), 115-130.

"In this review, we ... discuss behavioral interventions that can reduce ongoing high risk behaviors among HIV-seropositive IDUs and MSM-DUs, and review the literature which has evaluated their effectiveness. ... In addition, we briefly discuss interventions which have the potential to simultaneously reduce ongoing transmission of both HIV and HCV. Finally, given the dearth of information on the effectiveness of behavioral interventions in reducing the burden of the HIV and HCV epidemics among persons already infected with either or both viruses, we describe some newer, promising interventions and offer suggestions for future studies" (p. 115).

Thompson, A., Silverman, B., Dzeng, L., & Treisman, G. (2006). Psychotropic medications and HIV. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 42(9), 1305-1310.

"In a brief review of the use of psychotropic medications in patients with HIV infection, we discuss indications, adverse effects, and drug interactions for commonly used antidepressants, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, antipsychotics, psychostimulants, and drugs of abuse" (p. 1305).

– Compiled by Abraham Feingold, Psy.D.

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