HIV mental health: where are we headed?
HIV mental health: where are we headed?
Theme: Psychiatry and mental health
Monday 24th April, 09:30 – 11:10
Supported by the Collaborative Initiative for Paediatric HIV Education and Research by the IAS - the International AIDS Society
This symposium will provide a platform to highlight research and advocacy in the field of HIV mental health, particularly as it pertains to neuroscientists. Given the interdisciplinary nature of this field, it is crucial to bring together researchers from diverse backgrounds to address the questions at the core of HIV mental health: Why do people living with HIV experience mental health issues at higher rates than the general population? How can we best predict, screen for, and treat these issues? And how do biological, psychosocial, and socioeconomic factors interact to influence mental health amongst people living with HIV? Given the growing emphasis on mental health for people living with HIV, especially in the Global South, this symposium aims to inspire constructive conversations around what "living with HIV" looks like and how we can continue to holistically support people living with HIV. HIV mental health is a challenging yet rewarding field with the potential to improve the quality of life for millions of people worldwide. This symposium will include emerging research on biological underpinnings of HIV-associated depression, holistic health-related quality of life measurements, and group psychotherapy as an intervention to improve HIV-related mental and physical health outcomes. Our speakers come from diverse walks of life and include a patient advocate for young people living with HIV.
- Arish Mudra Rakshasa-Loots, The University of Edinburgh, UK: Is it "all in your head"? The contribution of neuroinflammation to depression in a South African cohort of adolescents with and without HIV (co-chair)
- Etheldreda Nakimuli-Mpungu, Makerere University, UK: Long-term effect of group support psychotherapy on depression and HIV treatment outcomes: Secondary analysis of a cluster randomized trial in Uganda
- Kate Alford, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, UK: Quality of life in people living with HIV with cognitive impairment
- Mercy Shibemba, PENTA Foundation, UK: 'Everything makes sense now!' The importance of sharing research with children and young people (co-chair)