Affective Correlates of Stimulant Use and Adherence to Anti-retroviral Therapy Among HIV-positive Methamphetamine Users

The use of stimulants has important implications for HIV prevention and care. However, few investigations have examined psychological correlates of substance use and adherence to anti-retroviral therapy (ART) among HIV-positive stimulant users. This cross-sectional investigation examined affective correlates of stimulant use and ART adherence among HIV-positive methamphetamine users. In total, 122 HIV-positive men who have sex with men or transgendered individuals on ART who reported using methamphetamine in the past 30 days were recruited from the community. HIV-specific traumatic stress was consistently and independently associated with more frequent cocaine/crack use (but not with methamphetamine use). Positive affect was independently associated with a decreased likelihood of reporting any injection drug use and an increased likelihood of reporting perfect ART adherence. HIV-specific traumatic stress may be an important determinant of increased cocaine/crack use in this population. Positive affect may increase the likelihood that individuals will refrain from injection drug use and achieve high levels of ART adherence

The Economic Burden of Home Care for Children with HIV and Other Chronic Illnesses

Objectives. We compared types, amounts, and costs of home care for children with HIV and chronic illnesses, controlling for the basic care needs of healthy children to determine the economic burden of caring for and home care of chronically ill children. Methods. Caregivers of 97 HIV-positive children, 101 children with a chronic illness, and 102 healthy children were surveyed regarding amounts of paid and unpaid care provided. Caregiving value was determined according to national hourly earnings and a market replacement method. Results. Chronically ill children required significantly more care time than HIV-positive children (7.8 vs 3.9 hours per day). Paid care accounted for 8% to 16% of care time. Annual costs were $9300 per HIV-positive child and$25 900 per chronically ill child. Estimated national annual costs are $86.5 million for HIV-positive children and$155 to $279 billion for chronically ill children. Conclusions. Informal caregiving represents a substantial economic value to society. The total care burden among chronically ill children is higher than that among children with HIV

Positive affect and processes of recovery among treatment-seeking methamphetamine users

BACKGROUND: Revised Stress and Coping Theory proposes that positive affect serves adaptive functions, independent of negative affect. However, scant research has examined whether, how, and under what circumstances positive affect is associated with decreased substance use. METHODS: Eighty-eight methamphetamine-using men who have sex with men (MSM) completed the baseline assessment for substance abuse treatment outcome study which included measures of positive and negative affect, cognitive-behavioral change processes (i.e., approach-oriented coping, self-efficacy for managing methamphetamine triggers, and abstinence-related action tendencies), abstinence-specific social support, and self-reported substance use. Participants also provided a urine sample for toxicology screening. RESULTS: After controlling for demographic characteristics and negative affect, higher positive affect was independently associated with greater approach-oriented coping, abstinence-related action tendencies, and abstinence-specific social support. Positive affect was also independently associated with greater self-efficacy for managing methamphetamine triggers, but only at lower levels of negative affect. Through these cognitive-behavioral and social pathways, positive affect was indirectly associated with lower frequency of stimulant use in the past 30 days, lower odds of reporting stimulant use two or more days in a row, and lower odds of providing a urine sample that was reactive for stimulant metabolites. On the other hand, negative affect was not indirectly associated with any measure of stimulant use. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical research is needed to examine the pathways whereby positive affect may predict better substance abuse treatment outcomes