Psychiatric trajectories across adolescence in perinatally HIV-exposed youth: the role of HIV infection and associations with viral load

"We did more than survive": lessons learned from studies of risk and resilience of young people growing up with HIV and mental health needs

Despite advances in HIV-treatment, adolescents and young adults (AYA) with HIV (AYAHIV) face myriad challenges. They are less likely than children and older adults to be virally suppressed and are at higher risk for mental health conditions compared to their peers who do not have HIV. AYA are also developing in the context of numerous biomedical, neurocognitive, and psychosocial developmental changes. Normative challenges during this time can be exacerbated by HIV and can result in significant physical and mental health problems. Yet, many AYAHIV have shown resilience with positive assets and resources and few health or mental health problems. Historically research has had a risk-focused approach to understanding AYAHIV needs. This paper discusses the rationale for a shift from a risk-focused only approach to one that examines AYAHIV needs from both a risk and resilience perspective. This paper presents: (1) epidemiological data on AYAHIV; (2) conceptual models for understanding both risk (e.g., poverty, stress, trauma, limited resources) and resilience/protective factors (e.g., family and peer support, future orientation, problem-solving skills); (3) global data examining risk and protective factors for physical and mental health challenges; and (4) promising interventions that incorporate elements of resilience to improve overall outcomes among AYAHIV.

Prevalence and Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence Victimization Among Urban Adolescents and Young Adults Living With Perinatally-Acquired HIV Infection or Perinatal HIV Exposure

INTRODUCTION

Because of privacy and ethical concerns, the data cannot be made available because of the sensitivity of the HIV data and the relatively small sample and ease of identifying people if a few demographics are known.Few studies have examined intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with perinatally acquired HIV-infection (PHIV) or perinatal HIV exposure without infection (PHEU) in the United States. The purpose of this study was to (1) estimate lifetime and past-year prevalence of IPV victimization and (2) examine correlates of IPV victimization by subtype (physical, psychological, and sexual) and severity (low, moderate, and severe).

METHODS

Data came from the sixth interview of an ongoing New York City-based longitudinal study of primarily Black and Latinx AYAPHIV and AYAPHEU. We examined 232 participants (142 PHIV; 90 PHEU) who had reported having been in at least 1 romantic relationship. We used logistic regression models to explore the association between IPV victimization outcomes and select sociodemographic, psychiatric, and environmental factors. Models were adjusted for age, gender, race, ethnicity, and HIV status.

RESULTS

IPV victimization prevalence was 84% for lifetime and 65% for the past year. There were no differences in IPV victimization prevalence by PHIV status. Having a recent substance use disorder, reporting higher levels of neighborhood stress, and being male were all positively associated with at least 1 IPV outcome; stronger familial relationships exhibited a protective effect.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study suggests that the prevalence of IPV victimization among AYAPHIV and AYAPHEU is exceedingly high that warrants targeted IPV screening and programming for this population.

Hope for the future protects against suicidal ideation among adolescents and young adults affected by perinatal HIV

Hope for the future has been found protective against suicidal ideation (SI) in adolescents and young adults (AYA) yet has not been examined in AYA with perinatal HIV-infection (PHIV) or AYA who were perinatally HIV-exposed but uninfected (PHEU), who are at higher risk for SI than general populations. Using data from a New York City-based longitudinal study of AYAPHIV and AYAPHEU enrolled when 9-16 years old, we examined associations between hope for the future, psychiatric disorders, and SI over time using validated measures. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate differences in mean hope for the future scores by PHIV-status and to estimate adjusted odds ratios for associations between hope for the future and SI. AYA reported high hope for the future scores and low SI across visits, irrespective of PHIV-status. Higher hope for the future scores were associated with lower odds of SI (AOR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.996). Mood disorder was associated with increased odds of SI (AOR = 13.57, 95% CI: 5.11, 36.05) in a model including age, sex, follow-up, PHIV-status, mood disorder, and hope for the future. Understanding how hope can be cultivated and how it protects against SI can help to inform preventive interventions for HIV-affected AYA.

Condomless Sex Among HIV-affected AYA in an Era of Undetectable = Untransmittable and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis

Given poor adherence to treatment and prevention techniques, condomless sex jeopardizes adolescents and young adults (AYA) with perinatally-acquired HIV-infection (PHIV) or perinatal HIV-exposure who are uninfected (PHEU). We examined condomless sex and its association with PHIV-status, psychiatric disorder, and sociodemographics. Data come from a US-based study of primarily Black and Latinx AYAPHIV and AYAPHEU (N = 340). Linear regression models examined condomless sex longitudinally by PHIV-status, psychiatric trajectories, and sociodemographics. Rates of viremia (AYAPHIV) and PrEP use (AYAPHEU) were assessed. 56% of participants reported recent condomless sex, with higher prevalence among: AYAPHEU vs. AYAPHIV (24% vs. 19%, p = 0.017); Latinx vs. non-Latinx AYA (25% vs. 17%, p = 0.014); and AYA with increasing psychiatric comorbidity (44%) and consistent anxiety (23%) vs. low-level disorder (17%; p < 0.05). AYAPHIV had high rates of unsuppressed viral load and AYAPHEU limited PrEP use. Preventing condomless sex is challenging within AYAPHIV and AYAPHEU. Developing accessible combination HIV/mental health interventions is much-needed.

Mental health and ART adherence among adolescents living with HIV in Mozambique

Little is known about the mental health needs of adolescents living with HIV (ALWH) in Mozambique, including the potential relationship between mental health challenges and poor antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence. We examined mental health problems (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] symptoms and impairment) and their association with self-reported ART adherence among ALWH ages 15-19 in Nampula, Mozambique. The associations between each mental health problem area and sub-optimal adherence were estimated using logistic regression, controlling for age, education, and social support, with interaction by gender. Males had significantly higher anxiety (5.6 vs 4.3, p = 0.01), depression (5.8 vs 4.1, p = 0.005), and PTSD (13.3 vs 9.8, p = 0.02) symptoms and impairment (1.8 vs 0.56, p<0.0001) scores than females. Proportion reporting sub-optimal adherence (65%) did not differ by gender. Higher anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptom and impairment scores were significantly associated with higher odds of sub-optimal ART adherence in males but not females. Among Mozambican ALWH, mental health problems were prevalent and two-thirds had ART adherence less than 90%. Worse mental health was associated with increased odds of sub-optimal ART adherence in males but not females. Interventions are needed to address mental health problems and improve ART adherence in Mozambican ALWH, particularly among males.

Screening for depression with the PHQ-9 in young adults affected by HIV

BACKGROUND

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common among young adults with perinatally acquired HIV (YAPHIV), however it is often underdiagnosed and untreated. The PHQ-9 and PHQ-2 are widely used screening instruments for MDD. This study evaluates the accuracy of recommended PHQ-9 and PHQ-2 cut-scores of 10 and 3 for YAPHIV and YA who were perinatally HIV exposed but uninfected (YAPHEU).

METHODS

The PHQ-9 was administered to participants (n = 203) in a longitudinal cohort study using the DISC-IV as the gold standard for diagnosing depression. PHQ-9 and PHQ-2 sensitivity and specificity were calculated. ROC curves were constructed for the overall sample and YAPHIV and YAPHEU subsamples.

RESULTS

Almost all participants were Black and Latinx, ages 18-29. Overall, the recommended PHQ-9 cut-score of ≥10 yielded a sensitivity of 0.47 (95%CI [0.23,0.72]) and specificity of 0.86 (95%CI [0.80, 0.91]). Results indicate that PHQ-9 cut-scores of 7 and PHQ-2 cut-scores of 2 increased sensitivity to 0.76 (95%CI [0.50, 0.93]) and 0.71(95%CI [0.44,0.90]), and decreased specificity to 0.72 (95%CI [0.65, 0.79]) and 0.73 (95%CI [0.66, 0.79]) respectively. Among subsamples, existing PHQ-9 cut-scores were more accurate for MDD diagnoses in YAPHEU (N = 11) than YAPHIV(N = 6). No race/ethnicity or age differences were found.

LIMITATIONS

Participants were recruited from clinics in NYC and may not reflect all YAPHIV and YAPHEU. Without a white HIV comparison group, no conclusions could be made on the impact of race/ethnicity on optimized PHQ-9 cut-scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Using tailored cut scores for HIV-affected populations may increase identification of those experiencing or at risk for MDD. Given the need for increased depression screening in HIV care, use of optimized cut-scores could benefit at-risk populations in the US and globally.

Navigating Stigma Trajectory and Mental Health Among Young Adults Living with Perinatal HIV in New York City

Perceived HIV stigma and mental health are fluid across the lifespan for people living with perinatally-acquired HIV (PHIV). The process of navigating discredited identities over time in the context of other life demands potentially exerts a toll on the mental health of adolescents and young adults living with PHIV (AYAPHIV). Based on data from a longitudinal study in New York City examining mental health and health risk behaviors among 182 AYAPHIV, we examined if increased perceived HIV stigma predicted mental health, future orientation, HIV-disclosure, and healthcare transition over time (2003-2018). Findings from linear mixed-effects modeling indicated that older age predicted poorer mental health, less future orientation, more HIV-serostatus disclosure, and adult medical services utilization. Perceived stigma was the only significant predictor of mental health and mediated the association between age and mental health-highlighting the importance of addressing stigma across development for AYAPHIV while addressing systems that perpetuate them.

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Longitudinal Emotional-Behavioral Functioning Among Youth Born to Women Living With HIV

BACKGROUND

Youth with perinatal HIV exposure have demonstrated high rates of emotional-behavioral problems. Few studies have longitudinally examined racial/ethnic disparities in such functioning across adolescence, a critical time for targeting prevention/intervention efforts.

SETTING

The Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study Adolescent Master Protocol is one of the largest US-based cohort studies of youth with perinatal HIV (YPHIV) infection or HIV exposed but uninfected (YPHEU).

METHODS

Youth and caregivers individually completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children, second edition, every 2 years between ages 7 and 19 years. We used adjusted mixed-effects models to evaluate whether mean youth-reported emotional concerns and caregiver-reported behavioral concerns differed by race/ethnicity. We used group-based trajectory models to identify groups having similar emotional-behavioral trajectories, followed by multinomial models to determine which factors predicted group membership.

RESULTS

Three hundred ninety-one YPHIV and 209 YPHEU (7% White non-Hispanic, 21% White Hispanic, 66% Black non-Hispanic, and 6% Black Hispanic) completed a median of 4 assessments over follow-up. Adjusted models showed more caregiver-reported behavioral concerns for Black non-Hispanic YPHEU than for Black non-Hispanic YPHIV, White Hispanic YPHIV, and White Hispanic YPHEU, particularly later in adolescence. Race/ethnicity did not predict membership in subgroups of youth-reported emotional or caregiver-reported behavioral functioning identified using group-based trajectory models. However, factors predicting membership in vulnerable youth-reported emotional and caregiver-reported behavioral groups included experiencing a stressful life event and living with a caregiver who was married or screened positive for a psychiatric condition.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study revealed that Black non-Hispanic YPHEU are a vulnerable subgroup. Contributing factors that could inform interventions include the caregiver's health, household characteristics, and psychiatric status.