A Biopsychosocial Approach to Managing HIV-Related Pain and Associated Substance Abuse in Older Adults: a Review

Attending to Marginalization in The Chronic Pain Literature: A Scoping Review

Background

There has been a recent and, for many within the chronic pain space, long-overdue increase in literature that focuses on equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization (EDI-D) to understand chronic pain among people who are historically and structurally marginalized.

Aims

In light of this growing attention in chronic pain research, we undertook a scoping review of studies that focus on people living with chronic pain and marginalization to map how these studies were carried out, how marginalization was conceptualized and operationalized by researchers, and identify suggestions for moving forward with marginalization and EDI-D in mind to better support people living with chronic pain.

Methods

We conducted this scoping review using critical analysis in a manner that aligns with dominant scoping review frameworks and recent developments made to scoping review methodology as well as reporting guidelines.

Results

Drawing on 67 studies, we begin with a descriptive review of the literature followed by a critical review that aims to identify fissures within the field through the following themes: (1) varying considerations of sociopolitical and socioeconomic contexts, (2) conceptual conflations between sex and gender, and (3) differing approaches to how people living with chronic pain and marginalization are described.

Conclusion

By identifying strengths and limitations in the research literature, we aim to highlight opportunities for researchers to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of marginalization in chronic pain experiences.

Prevalence, correlates, and quality-of-life outcomes of major or persistent pain among women living with HIV in Metro Vancouver, Canada

While women living with HIV (WLWH) are twice as likely to report severe or undertreated chronic pain compared to men, little is known about pain among WLWH. Our goal was to characterize the correlates of pain as well as its impact on quality-of-life outcomes among women enrolled in the Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Women's Longitudinal Needs Assessment (SHAWNA), an open longitudinal study of WLWH accessing care in Metro Vancouver, Canada. We conducted logistic regression analyses to identify associations between self-reported major or persistent pain with sociostructural and psychosocial correlates and with quality-of-life outcomes. Data are presented as adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals. Among 335 participants, 77.3% reported pain at ≥ 1 study visit, with 46.3% experiencing any undiagnosed pain and 53.1% managing pain with criminalized drugs. In multivariable analysis, age (aOR 1.04[1.03-1.06] per year increase), food and housing insecurity (aOR 1.54[1.08-2.19]), depression diagnosis (aOR 1.34[1.03-1.75]), suicidality (aOR 1.71[1.21-2.42]), and non-daily, non-injection opioid use (aOR 1.53[1.07-2.17]) were associated with higher odds of pain. Daily non-injection opioid use (aOR 0.46[0.22-0.96]) and health services access (aOR 0.63[0.44-0.91]) were associated with lower odds of pain. In separate multivariable confounder models, pain was associated with reduced odds of good self-rated health (aOR 0.64[0.48-0.84] and increased odds of health interference with social activities (aOR 2.21[1.63-2.99]) and general function (aOR 3.24[2.54-4.13]). In conclusion, most WLWH in our study reported major or persistent pain. Pain was commonly undiagnosed and associated with lower quality of life. We identified structural and psychosocial factors associated with pain in WLWH, emphasizing the need for low-barrier, trauma-informed, and harm reduction-based interventions.

Community perceptions of a biopsychosocial model of integrated care in the health center: the case of 4 health districts in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo

BACKGROUND

Biopsychosocial care is one of the approaches recommended in the health system by the WHO. Although efforts are being made on the provider side to implement it and integrate it into the health system, the community dynamic also remains to be taken into account for its support. The objective of this study is to understand the community's perceptions of the concept of integrated health care management according to the biopsychosocial approach (BPS) at the Health Center of a Health District and its evaluation in its implementation.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was done in six Health Areas belonging to four Health Districts in South Kivu, DRC. We conducted 15 semi-directive individual interviews with 9 respondents selected by convenience, including 6 members of the Development Committees of the Health Areas, with whom we conducted 12 interviews and 3 patients met in the health centers. The adapted Normalization MeAsure Development (NoMAD) tool, derived from the Theory of the Normalization Process of Complex Interventions, allowed us to collect data from November 2017 to February 2018, and then from November 2018 to February 2019. After data extraction and synthesis, we conducted a thematic analysis using the NoMAD tool to build a thematic framework. Six themes were grouped into three categories.

RESULTS

Initially, community reports that the BPS approach of integrated care in the Health Centre is understood differently by providers; but then, through collective coordination and integrated leadership within the health care team, the approach becomes clearer. The community encouraged some practices identified as catalysts to help the approach, notably the development of financial autonomy and mutual support, to the detriment of those identified as barriers. According to the community, the BPS model has further strengthened the performance of health workers and should be expanded and sustained.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of our study show the importance of community dynamics in the care of biopsychosocial situations by providers. The barriers and catalysts to the mechanism, both community-based and professional, identified in our study should be considered in the process of integrating the biopsychosocial model of person-centered health care.

The Relationship Between Forgiveness and Health Outcomes Among People Living with HIV: A Cross-Sectional Study in France

Research to date has shown that HIV infection is a highly stressful experience for individuals, and one of the key adaptive resources after such painful experiences may be forgiveness. The aim of the present study was to examine the associations between dispositional forgiveness (assessed using Mullet's Forgivingness Questionnaire and Toussaint's Forgiveness Scale), perceived stress (single-item measure of stress symptoms), health perception (EuroQol visual analogue version of the scale) and life satisfaction (Satisfaction With Life Scale) in people living with HIV (PLWH) in France. Paper surveys were completed by 222 PLWH aged 18-78 (57% male). Multiple regression analysis revealed that sensitivity to circumstances, unconditional forgiveness, self-forgiveness, and forgiveness of others were significant predictors of health and happiness. Mediation analysis showed that these relationships are completely mediated by perceived stress. The present findings suggest that forgiveness and perceived stress may be important variables for healing in PLWH. Interventions designed to improve forgiveness and self-forgiveness may result in improved health and life satisfaction in PLWH.

Pain Is Associated With Depressive Symptoms, Inflammation, and Poorer Physical Function in Older Adults With HIV

OBJECTIVE

People living with HIV (PLWH) frequently experience pain, which often co-occurs with psychological symptoms and may impact functional outcomes. We investigated cross-sectional associations between pain, depressive symptoms, and inflammation, and then explored whether pain was related to poorer physical function among older PLWH.

METHODS

We examined data from PLWH aged 54 to 78 years ( n = 162) recruited from a single outpatient program for a larger study on HIV and aging. Participants reported depressive symptoms (10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale) and then attended a biomedical visit in which they reported past-month pain (Medical Outcomes Study-HIV pain subscale), completed physical function assessments, and provided blood samples (assayed for interleukin 6, interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor α, and C-reactive protein). Links between pain, depressive symptoms, inflammation, and physical function were tested using linear regression models.

RESULTS

PLWH with greater depressive symptoms experienced more pain than did those with fewer depressive symptoms ( B = 1.31, SE = 0.28, p < .001), adjusting for age, sex, race, body mass index, smoking, disease burden, time since HIV diagnosis, and medication use. Higher composite cytokine levels were associated with worse pain ( B = 5.70, SE = 2.54, p = .027 in adjusted model). Poorer physical function indicators, including slower gait speed, weaker grip strength, recent falls, and prefrail or frail status, were observed among those with worse pain. Exploratory mediation analyses suggested that pain may partially explain links between depressive symptoms and several physical function outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Pain is a potential pathway linking depressive symptoms and inflammation to age-related health vulnerabilities among older PLWH; longitudinal investigation of this pattern is warranted. PLWH presenting with pain may benefit from multidisciplinary resources, including behavioral health and geriatric medicine approaches.

Predicting Emotional Valence of People Living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Using Daily Voice Clips: A Preliminary Study

To detect depression in people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV), this preliminary study developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model aimed at discriminating the emotional valence of PLHIV. Sixteen PLHIV recruited from the Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, participated in this study from 2019 to 2020. A self-developed mobile application (app) was installed on sixteen participants' mobile phones and recorded their daily voice clips and emotional valence values. After data preprocessing of the collected voice clips was conducted, an open-source software, openSMILE, was applied to extract 384 voice features. These features were then tested with statistical methods to screen critical modeling features. Several decision-tree models were built based on various data combinations to test the effectiveness of feature selection methods. The developed model performed very well for individuals who reported an adequate amount of data with widely distributed valence values. The effectiveness of feature selection methods, limitations of collected data, and future research were discussed.

Self-Reported Disability in Persons With HIV-Related Neuropathy Is Mediated by Pain Interference and Depression

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to compare disability in people with HIV and peripheral neuropathy with those without neuropathy and explore how neuropathy and other relevant factors are associated with disability.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, participants completed the Brief pain inventory, Beck Depression Inventory II, World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0), and a health and demographic questionnaire. Additional data were extracted from the medical record. A raw score of ≥1 on the Subjective Peripheral Neuropathy Screen questions about lower extremity numbness or paresthesia was used to identify peripheral neuropathy. Predictors of disability (as determined by association with World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 scores) were evaluated bivariately and in a multivariable model. Path modeling was used to identify a parsimonious model to elucidate the mediated effects of peripheral neuropathy on disability.

RESULTS

Participants with peripheral neuropathy had more depression symptoms, more pain (severity and interference), and higher disability scores compared with participants without neuropathy. The relationship between neuropathy and disability was mediated by pain interference and depression (standardized root mean residual = .056).

CONCLUSION

In this sample of people with HIV, those with lower extremity peripheral neuropathy reported more severe disability, worse pain, and more depression symptoms than those without neuropathy. The relationship between peripheral neuropathy and disability may be mediated though pain interference and depression.

IMPACT

Distal sensory polyneuropathy is a common comorbidity experienced by people living with HIV and frequently causes pain. This study can help providers direct care toward lessening disability experienced among people with HIV and peripheral neuropathy by targeting interventions for treatment of pain and depression.

LAY SUMMARY

People living with HIV may experience disabling painful neuropathy. Treatment for pain and depression may help reduce the disability associated with painful neuropathy.

The Impact of COVID-19 on HIV Treatment and Research: A Call to Action

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is far reaching, with devastating effects on individuals, communities, and societies across the world. People with chronic health conditions may be at greater risk of contracting or experiencing complications from COVID-19. In addition to illness or death for those who contract the virus, the physical distancing required to flatten the curve of new cases is having a negative impact on the economy, the effects of which intersect with mental health and other existing health concerns, thus affecting marginalized communities. Given that HIV also has a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities, COVID-19 is affecting people with HIV (PWH) in unique ways and will continue to have an impact on HIV research and treatment after the COVID-19 crisis passes. Using the biopsychosocial framework to contextualize the impact of COVID-19 on PWH, the purpose of this review article is to: (1) outline the similarities and differences between the COVID-19 and HIV pandemics; (2) describe the current and future impact of COVID-19 on PWH; and (3) outline a call to action for scientists and practitioners to respond to the impact of COVID-19 on HIV prevention and treatment.

Pain-Specific Resilience in People Living With HIV and Chronic Pain: Beneficial Associations With Coping Strategies and Catastrophizing

Objective

Chronic pain is increasingly recognized as a common and disabling problem for people living with HIV (PLWH). In a recent systematic review of psychosocial factors associated with chronic pain in PLWH, it was reported that very few studies to date have examined protective psychological factors that might help mitigate chronic pain for PLWH. The current study examined pain-specific resilience in relation to clinical and experimental pain, as well as pain coping in PLWH and chronic pain. Pain-specific resilience specifically refers to the ability to maintain relatively stable, healthy levels of psychological and physical functioning in the face of ongoing and persistent pain.

Methods

A total of 85 PLWH (mean CD4 = 643; 13% detectable viral load ≥200; 99% on antiretroviral therapy) who met criteria for chronic pain (>3 consecutive month’s duration) were enrolled. Medical records were reviewed to confirm clinical data. All participants provided sociodemographic information prior to completing the following validated measures: Pain Resilience Scale (PRS), Coping Strategies Questionnaire-Revised (CSQ-R), Center for Epidemiologic Studies – Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Brief Pain Inventory – Short Form (BPI-SF). They then completed a quantitative sensory testing battery designed to assess tolerance for painful heat and cold stimuli.

Results

In adjusted multiple regression models controlling for covariates, greater pain-specific resilience was significantly associated with less pain interference (p = 0.022) on the BPI-SF, less pain catastrophizing (p = 0.002), greater use of distraction (p = 0.027) and coping self-statements (p = 0.039) on the CSQ-R, as well as significantly greater heat pain tolerance (p = 0.009). Finally, results of a parallel multiple mediation model demonstrated that the effect of pain-specific resilience on heat pain tolerance was indirectly transmitted through less pain catastrophizing (95% confidence interval:0.0042 to 0.0354), but not use of distraction (95% confidence interval: −0.0140 to 0.0137) or coping self-statements (95% confidence interval: −0.0075 to 0.0255).

Conclusion

The findings suggest that pain-specific resilience may promote adaptation and positive coping in PLWH and chronic pain.