Cognitive behavioral therapy improves depressive symptoms for people with HIV

Cognitive behavioral therapy improves depressive symptoms in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but it is not apparent whether improved adherence to antiretroviral therapy follows, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Psychiatry.

“The results of this systematic evaluation suggest that the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on improving antiretroviral therapy medication adherence in people living with HIV are unclear,” wrote researchers from China. “This may be due to the fact that the medication-taking behavior of people living with HIV is influenced by various factors, such as the patient’s personal factors, disease factors, psychosocial factors, and the doctor-patient relationship, all of which can affect the patient adherence.”

The systematic review and meta-analysis included 16 randomized controlled trials spanning nearly 2000 people with HIV.

Cognitive behavioral therapy improved depressive symptoms in people with HIV in general, findings showed. Effects were more significant over the long term (6 months or more) compared with shorter-term assessments.

The difference in antiretroviral therapy adherence with cognitive behavioral therapy was not significant overall. However, when researchers compared meta-analysis results from eight short-term trials and four long-term trials, they found cognitive behavioral therapy had a better effect on adherence in trials lasting longer than 6 months.

“The above results may be attributed to the fact that cognitive behavioral therapy, as a psychological intervention mode, requires a longer period of intervention … so as to improve clients’ self-management ability and thus antiretroviral therapy medication adherence,” researchers wrote. “The maximum follow-up for antiretroviral therapy medication adherence included in this systematic evaluation was 12 months, and longer interventions may still be needed.”

By Jolynn Tumolo

Reference:
Qin K, Zeng J, Liu L, Cai Y. Effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on improving depressive symptoms and increasing adherence to antiretroviral medication in people with HIV. Front Psychiatry. Published online November 9, 2022. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.990994