Mental Health in Women Living With HIV: The Unique and Unmet Needs.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to examine the feasibility and outcomes of mental health interventions, including mindfulness-based interventions, for women living with HIV (WLWH).
Results Summary
The abstract mentions mindfulness-based interventions as one of the tested mental health interventions for WLWH, but specific efficacy results are not detailed. The review highlights the need for future research to address barriers to mental health care for this population.
Population
Women living with HIV (WLWH) with mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms.
Effective Dosage
Not available
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
- | increase | depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms | Women living with HIV (WLWH) | higher rates | experience at higher rates | #1 |
- | decrease | well-being and quality of life | WLWH | - | affect | #2 |
- | neutral | HIV management and transmission prevention | WLWH | - | have implications for | #3 |
- | decrease | mental health concerns | WLWH | - | are under-treated | #4 |
- | decrease | mental health treatment literature | WLWH | - | are underrepresented | #5 |
- | neutral | unique mental health issues | WLWH | - | faced | #6 |
- | increase | physical and sexual abuse histories | WLWH | high | high prevalence | #7 |
- | increase | internalized stigma | WLWH | elevated | elevated | #8 |
cognitive behavioral therapy | neutral | mental health interventions | WLWH | - | tested | #9 |
mindfulness-based interventions | neutral | mental health interventions | WLWH | - | tested | #10 |
supportive counseling | neutral | mental health interventions | WLWH | - | tested | #11 |
Women living with HIV (WLWH) experience depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms at higher rates than their male counterparts and more often than HIV-unaffected women. These mental health issues affect not only the well-being and quality of life of WLWH, but have implications for HIV management and transmission prevention. Despite these ramifications, WLWH are under-treated for mental health concerns and they are underrepresented in the mental health treatment literature. In this review, we illustrate the unique mental health issues faced by WLWH such as a high prevalence of physical and sexual abuse histories, caregiving stress, and elevated internalized stigma as well as myriad barriers to care. We examine the feasibility and outcomes of mental health interventions that have been tested in WLWH including cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, and supportive counseling. Future research is required to address individual and systemic barriers to mental health care for WLWH.