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Batchelder AW, Heo M, Foley JD, Sullivan MC, Lum P, Pericot Valverde I, Taylor LE, Mehta SH, Kim AY, Norton B, Tsui JI, Feinberg J, Page K, Litwin AH. Shame and stigma in association with the HCV cascade to cure among people who inject drugs. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 253:111013. [PMID: 37951006 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.111013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psycho-social experiences including shame and experienced and internalized stigma have been associated with substance use, HCV infection, and reluctance to disclose HCV status and pursue treatment. These psycho-social barriers have been examined independently for many chronic diseases, including HCV, but to our knowledge have not been quantitatively explored in a large multi-site US-based sample of people who inject drugs (PWID) in HCV treatment. METHODS We examine baseline relationships with HCV-stigma and engagement across the HCV treatment cascade as well as baseline and longitudinal relationships between shame and engagement across the HCV treatment cascade including treatment initiation, adherence, completion, and sustained virologic response (SVR) among a multi-site sample of PWID with HCV, where N=755 were randomized to the pragmatic trial comparing HCV treatment outcomes in modified directly observed treatment (mDOT) or patient navigation, and N=623 initiated treatment. RESULTS While cross-sectional assessments of shame and HCV-stigma were not associated with engagement across the HCV treatment cascade, those whose shame scores decreased compared to those who reported consistently high and increasing levels of shame were significantly more likely to complete HCV treatment (aOR=5.29; 95%CI: 1.56,18.00) and achieve SVR (aOR=6.32; 95%CI: 1.61, 24.87). CONCLUSION Results underscore the relationships between lower levels of shame and health-related behavior and treatment outcomes among PWID and suggest SVR achievement may contribute to reductions in shame or that reductions in shame may contribute to continued treatment and thus SVR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail W Batchelder
- Behavioral Medicine Program, Psychiatry Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, One Bowdoin Square, Suite 701, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, One Bowdoin Square, Suite 701, Boston, MA 02114, USA; The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, 1340 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Moonseong Heo
- Department of Public Health, College of Behavioral, Social, and Health Sciences, Clemson University, 116 Edwards Hall, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Jacklyn D Foley
- Behavioral Medicine Program, Psychiatry Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, One Bowdoin Square, Suite 701, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, One Bowdoin Square, Suite 701, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Matthew C Sullivan
- Behavioral Medicine Program, Psychiatry Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, One Bowdoin Square, Suite 701, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, One Bowdoin Square, Suite 701, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Paula Lum
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Lynn E Taylor
- College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Shruti H Mehta
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Arthur Y Kim
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brianna Norton
- Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Judith I Tsui
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Judith Feinberg
- Department of Behavioral Medicine & Psychiatry and Department of Medicine, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Kim Page
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Alain H Litwin
- Department of Medicine, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634 USA; Department of Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Greenville, SC, USA; Department of Medicine, Prisma Health, Greenville, SC, USA.
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Smith AKJ, Persson A, Drysdale K, Bryant J, Valentine K, Wallace J, Hamilton M, Gray RM, Newman CE. Family imaginaries in the disclosure of a blood-borne virus. SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH & ILLNESS 2021; 43:1422-1436. [PMID: 34160829 DOI: 10.1111/1467-9566.13316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Contemporary sociological work has emphasised that family is not static, but actively shaped by ideas of who and what makes family. Disclosure of an illness, including diagnosis of stigmatised infections such as HIV, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus, can change the dynamics of family relationships. This paper draws on 61 qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted between 2017 and 2019 with people in Australia with one or more of these blood-borne viruses (BBVs) and their family members, to understand the experiences of serodiscordant (mixed viral status) families. Through a thematic analysis, we explore the family imaginaries that participants evoked when describing their disclosure practices in relation to (self-defined) family members, revealing how some participants disclosed in ways that enabled them to shape their family, to maintain boundaries between self and family or to protect family from distress. Participants' accounts of disclosure to family revealed imaginaries of family as a precious web of connections to be nurtured or protected, but also as sites of ambivalent belonging and complex history. We conclude that BBV disclosure practices within families reveal important ideas about families that are imagined in response to the threat of loss, change and stigma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony K J Smith
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Asha Persson
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kerryn Drysdale
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Health Equity Research and Development Unit, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Joanne Bryant
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kylie Valentine
- Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jack Wallace
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Myra Hamilton
- Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rebecca M Gray
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Christy E Newman
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Goodyear T, Brown H, Browne AJ, Hoong P, Ti L, Knight R. "Stigma is where the harm comes from": Exploring expectations and lived experiences of hepatitis C virus post-treatment trajectories among people who inject drugs. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2021; 96:103238. [PMID: 33902968 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The advent of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medications has facilitated opportunities to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) among people who inject drugs (PWID). However, there remains a need for data about how to optimally support PWID throughout DAA post-treatment trajectories, including with regard to re-infection prevention. The objective of this study is therefore to identify how PWID with lived experience of HCV describe their expectations and experiences related to health and social outcomes, contexts, and substance use practices following completion of DAA treatment. METHODS We thematically analyzed data from in-depth, semi-structured interviews, conducted between January and June 2018, in Vancouver, Canada, with a purposive sample (n = 50) of PWID at various stages of DAA treatment (e.g., pre, peri, post). RESULTS Our analysis yielded three themes. First, while participants had hoped to experience holistic enhancements in wellbeing following HCV cure, discussions of actual post-treatment experiences tended to be located in physical health (e.g., increased energy). Second, participants often pointed to the ways in which HCV-related and other stigmas had restricted opportunities for health and healthcare access. Participants therefore identified stigma-reduction as a key motivator of HCV cure, and while reductions in internalized stigma were sometimes achieved, participants underscored that other forms of enacted stigma (e.g., related to: substance use, HIV, poverty) had continued to feature prominently in their post-treatment lives. Third, participants described considerable knowledge about how to prevent HCV re-infection following cure, but they also expressed apprehensiveness about how socio-structural barriers, including stigma and criminalization, could interfere with harm reduction and re-infection prevention efforts. CONCLUSIONS DAAs are transforming the health and wellbeing of some PWID. Yet, HCV-related policy must extend beyond the scale-up of DAAs to include concerted public health investments, including anti-stigma efforts and improvements to the social welfare system, to meaningfully advance equity in PWID's post-treatment trajectories and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor Goodyear
- School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Helen Brown
- School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Annette J Browne
- School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Peter Hoong
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Lianping Ti
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Rod Knight
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
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4
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Madden A, Hopwood M, Neale J, Treloar C. Beyond cure: patient reported outcomes of hepatitis C treatment among people who inject drugs in Australia. Harm Reduct J 2018; 15:42. [PMID: 30111327 PMCID: PMC6094926 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-018-0248-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent advances in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection provide the possibility of eliminating HCV as a public health threat. This focus on HCV elimination through treatment, however, is also driving a concomitant focus on ‘achieving cure’ as the primary outcome of treatment. The aim of this paper is to explore what people who inject drugs consider to be important in relation to outcomes of HCV treatment, and whether there are outcomes ‘beyond cure’ that might be important to understand as part of improving engagement in treatment. Methods A peer researcher with experience of both HCV treatment and injecting drug use conducted interviews with 24 people in the following groups in Melbourne, Australia: (1) people who had refused or deferred HCV treatment; (2) people who were actively thinking about, planning and/or about to commence HCV treatment; (3) people currently undertaking HCV treatment and (4) people who had recently completed HCV treatment. Results The findings show that people who inject drugs are seeking outcomes ‘beyond cure’ including improved physical and mental health, positive changes in identity and social relationships and managing future health and risk. Participants indicated that these other outcomes had not been addressed within their experience of HCV treatment. Conclusion While cure is an obvious outcome of HCV treatment, patients are seeking change in other areas of their lives. This study also provides valuable insights for the development of patient-reported measures in this context, which would be an important step towards more patient-centred approaches to HCV treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Madden
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Max Hopwood
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Joanne Neale
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,National Addiction Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
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Hofmeister MG, Havens JR, Young AM. Silence Surrounding Hepatitis C Status in Risk Relationships Among Rural People Who Use Drugs. J Prim Prev 2018; 38:481-494. [PMID: 28733798 DOI: 10.1007/s10935-017-0483-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has reached epidemic proportions in rural Central Appalachia in recent years. We sought to identify demographic, behavioral, and interpersonal characteristics associated with HCV serostatus disclosure among high risk people who use drugs (PWUD) in Appalachian Kentucky. HCV antibody-positive participants (n = 243), drawn from the fifth follow-up assessment of a longitudinal study of rural PWUD, completed interviewer-administered questionnaires eliciting demographic and interpersonal characteristics, risk behaviors, and information about HCV disclosure. We assessed correlates of HCV disclosure using gender-stratified multivariate logistic regression. Participants reported having disclosed their HCV-positive status to a current sex partner (44.0%), family member (35.8%), close friend (9.5%), or past sex partner (6.6%). Of those reporting current (n = 72) or past (n = 215) injection drug use (IDU), only 2.8% disclosed to current and 0.9% disclosed to past IDU partners, respectively. Female participants were more likely than male participants to disclose to current sex partners and family member(s). In multivariate analyses, adjusting for time since testing HCV positive, older age and lifetime history of drug treatment were associated with decreased odds of HCV disclosure among females, while only lifetime history of drug treatment was associated with decreased odds of HCV disclosure among males. In summary, the almost complete absence of disclosure to current or former injection drug use partners was concerning. However, most participants (69.1%) reported disclosing their HCV status to at least one of their social referents, suggesting that family members, partners, and friends of people living with HCV could play a critical role in encouraging uptake of treatment. Although further research is warranted, it is clear that interventions are needed to encourage HCV disclosure among those most at risk of transmitting HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan G Hofmeister
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, University of Kentucky, 111 Washington Avenue, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Jennifer R Havens
- Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, 845 Angliana Avenue, Lexington, KY, 40508, USA
| | - April M Young
- Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, 845 Angliana Avenue, Lexington, KY, 40508, USA. .,Department of Epidemiology, University of Kentucky, 111 Washington Avenue, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.
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6
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Scarborough J, Miller ER, Aylward P, Eliott J. 'Sussing that doctor out.' Experiences and perspectives of people affected by hepatitis C regarding engagement with private general practitioners in South Australia: a qualitative study. BMC FAMILY PRACTICE 2017; 18:97. [PMID: 29187145 PMCID: PMC5707807 DOI: 10.1186/s12875-017-0669-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Australians with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) can access affordable Direct Acting Antiviral (DAA) treatments with high cure rates (>90%), via General Practitioners (GPs). Benefits from this treatment will be maximised if people with HCV readily disclose and engage with private GPs regarding HCV-related issues. Investigating the perceptions and experiences of people affected by HCV with GPs can allow for this pathway to care for HCV to be improved. METHODS In 2013-2014, 22 purposively sampled participants from South Australia (SA) were interviewed. They a) had contracted or were at risk of hepatitis C (n = 10), b) were key workers who had clients affected by HCV (n = 6), and c) met both a) and b) criteria (n = 6). The semi-structured interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. RESULTS People affected by HCV viewed GPs as a source of general healthcare but, due to negative experiences and perceptions, many developed a strategy of "sussing" out doctors before engaging with and disclosing to a GP regarding HCV-related issues. Participants were doubtful about the benefits of engagement and disclosure, and did not assume that they would be provided best-practice care in a non-discriminatory, non-judgemental way. They perceived risks to confidentiality and risks of changes to the care they received from GPs upon disclosure. CONCLUSION GPs may need to act in ways that counteract the perceived risks and persuade people affected by HCV of the benefits of seeking HCV-related care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Scarborough
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
| | - Emma Ruth Miller
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Paul Aylward
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Jaklin Eliott
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
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Boland VC, Mattick RP, McRobbie H, Siahpush M, Courtney RJ. "I'm not strong enough; I'm not good enough. I can't do this, I'm failing"- A qualitative study of low-socioeconomic status smokers' experiences with accesssing cessation support and the role for alternative technology-based support. Int J Equity Health 2017; 16:196. [PMID: 29132364 PMCID: PMC5683575 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-017-0689-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The social gradient in smoking rates persist with an overrepresentation of smoking and its associated harms concentrated within lower socioeconomic status (SES) populations. Low-SES smokers are motivated to quit but face multiple barriers when engaging a quit attempt. An understanding of the current treatment service model from the perspectives of treatment-seeking low-SES smokers is needed to inform the design of alternative smoking cessation support services tailored to the needs of low-SES populations. This qualitative study aimed to: i) explore low-SES smokers' recent quitting experiences; ii) assess factors that impact treatment engagement; and iii) determine the acceptability and feasibility of alternative approaches to smoking cessation. METHOD Low-SES participants (n = 24) previously enrolled in a smoking cessation RCT participated in either a semi-structured focus group or in-depth telephone interview. Data was obtained and analysed using thematic analysis from October 2015 to June 2016. Analysis was deductive from the interview guide and supplemented inductively. RESULTS Participants expressed feelings of guilt and shame around their smoking behaviour and experienced stigmatisation for their smoking. Guilt, shame, and stigmatisation negatively impacted treatment seeking behaviours with most avoiding current quit services. Costs of pharmacotherapy and treatment adherence were commonly cited barriers to treatment success. Electronic-cigarettes were perceived to be unsafe due to uncertainty on their legal status and regulatory restrictions. Technology-based text-messaging quit support was endorsed as a more favourable alternative compared to existing behavioural treatment services. CONCLUSION Stigmatisation was commonly endorsed and acted as an impediment to current treatment utilisation. Electronic-cigarettes may present a viable harm reduction alternative, but their likely uptake in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups in Australia is limited by smokers' uncertainty about their regulation and legality. Mobile phone based cessation support may provide an alternative to telephone counselling and overcome the stigmatisation low-SES smokers face while trying to quit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica C. Boland
- University of New South Wales (UNSW), National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), 22-32 King Street, Randwick, NSW 2031 Australia
| | - Richard P. Mattick
- University of New South Wales (UNSW), National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), 22-32 King Street, Randwick, NSW 2031 Australia
| | - Hayden McRobbie
- Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, EC1M 6BQ, London, UK
| | - Mohammad Siahpush
- Department of Health Promotion, Social and Behavioral Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE USA
| | - Ryan J. Courtney
- University of New South Wales (UNSW), National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), 22-32 King Street, Randwick, NSW 2031 Australia
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Cellar DF, Voster D, Fetters R, Twitchell E, Harper GW, Scott C. Personality, Coping, and Well-Being for People Living with Chronic Hepatitis C. Psychol Rep 2017; 118:649-67. [PMID: 27154384 DOI: 10.1177/0033294115625557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The present study examined the relationships between personality, coping strategies, and health ratings to extend past research to people living with chronic hepatitis C (HCV). Participants were 35 people (11 men, 24 women; M age = 49.6 yr., SD = 10.6) living with chronic hepatitis C for an average of 9.0 yr. (SD = 6.0) since diagnosis. Participants provided descriptions of stressful situations and responded to a personality inventory, Ways of Coping Questionnaire scales (planful problem solving and escape-avoidance) and SF36 Health Survey scales measuring physical functioning and mental health. The stressful situations were judgmentally clustered into seven dimensions (diagnosis/mortality, disclosure, stigma, social and work role functioning, compounding problems, and no stress). Correlational analyses indicated strong negative relationships between escape-avoidance coping and health measures. Emotional Stability and Extraversion were positively related to both health variables, and Extraversion was negatively related to escape-avoidance coping. The results suggest that research from other contexts that has examined these relationships tended to generalize to people living with HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Devon Voster
- DePaul University, USA; Loyola University Medical Center, USA
| | - Rachel Fetters
- DePaul University, USA; Loyola University Medical Center, USA
| | - Emily Twitchell
- DePaul University, USA; Loyola University Medical Center, USA
| | - Gary W Harper
- DePaul University, USA; Loyola University Medical Center, USA; University of Michigan, USA
| | - Cotler Scott
- DePaul University, USA; Loyola University Medical Center, USA
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9
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Suarez AE. Is disclosure a privilege? Race and disclosure patterns of hepatitis C. J Health Psychol 2017; 24:1646-1657. [PMID: 28810416 DOI: 10.1177/1359105317694485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Research suggests that decisions to disclose hepatitis C status are affected by individual and interpersonal factors. However, no existing studies have examined the role of race in disclosure, despite the potential implications of being doubly marginalized on the basis of both race and hepatitis C status. Drawing on qualitative research with 53 persons with hepatitis C in the Southeastern United States, findings indicate that participants practiced four patterns of disclosure: activist disclosure, open disclosure, limited disclosure, and reluctant disclosure. The majority of African Americans in this research practiced limited and reluctant disclosure, while Whites' disclosure patterns were more varied. These findings suggest that race shapes patterns of disclosure of hepatitis C, which has important implications for prevention, help seeking, social support, exposure to discrimination, and addressing racial disparities in health.
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Abstract
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to describe military veterans' experiences of support and how those experiences influence their decisions to be adherent, during hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment. DESIGN A qualitative phenomenological design was used. Inclusion criteria were veterans 18 years or older, receiving standard treatment for HCV, able to read, write, and communicate in English. SETTING A US Veterans Administration facility in Texas. SAMPLE Convenience sampling was used to obtain a final sample of 21 veterans. METHODS Data collection consisted of 1-time, in-depth interviews with analysis occurring simultaneously. Follow-up phone calls with participants verified that the themes were accurate reflections of their lived experience. RESULTS Because of the fear of stigma, veterans make choices about to whom they tell their diagnosis. This limits the circle of friends and coworkers who could provide support. For some veterans, family members provide emotional and practical support, but family can also be a burden. In order to cope with family and treatment demands, some veterans hibernate, whereas others socialize with friends and coworkers. Some veterans found providers to be supportive, but others did not. CONCLUSIONS Veterans experience both supportive and unsupportive reactions from family, friends, and healthcare providers while receiving HCV treatment. Those reactions either support or frustrate efforts to be adherent to treatment. IMPLICATIONS In order to support treatment adherence, healthcare providers need to assess sources of support, or burden, experienced by military veterans during HCV treatment. When veterans do not have a supportive network, they need to be encouraged to attend a support group or seek counseling. Support services need to be funded by the Veterans Administration. Providers need to practice empathy and caring in order to support adherence during treatment. Further research is needed on how military veterans manage their health after hepatitis C treatment, contrasting successful versus unsuccessful treatment outcomes.
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11
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Sublette VA, Smith SK, George J, McCaffery K, Douglas MW. Listening to both sides: A qualitative comparison between patients with hepatitis C and their healthcare professionals' perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to hepatitis C treatment adherence and completion. J Health Psychol 2016; 23:1720-1731. [PMID: 27682337 DOI: 10.1177/1359105316669858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
This qualitative study compares and contrasts the perspectives of healthcare professionals who treat hepatitis C with those of patients in treatment. Comparative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 20 healthcare professionals and 20 patients undergoing treatment for hepatitis C concluded that patients and healthcare professionals disagreed on the source of communication breakdowns, but both felt that individualised clinical information improved adherence. Stigma was recognised as a barrier to treatment adherence by both patients and healthcare professionals. Limitations of the healthcare system, such as patients receiving inconsistent information and long wait times, negatively impacted both patients and providers.
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12
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Sublette VA, Smith SK, George J, McCaffery K, Douglas MW. Listening to both sides: A qualitative comparison between patients with hepatitis C and their healthcare professionals' perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to hepatitis C treatment adherence and completion. J Health Psychol 2016; 22:1300-1311. [PMID: 26857543 DOI: 10.1177/1359105315626786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This qualitative study compares and contrasts the perspectives of healthcare professionals who treat hepatitis C with those of patients in treatment. Comparative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 20 healthcare professionals and 20 patients undergoing treatment for hepatitis C concluded that patients and healthcare professionals disagreed on the source of communication breakdowns, but both felt that individualised clinical information improved adherence. Stigma was recognised as a barrier to treatment adherence by both patients and healthcare professionals. Limitations of the healthcare system, such as patients receiving inconsistent information and long wait times, negatively impacted both patients and providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria A Sublette
- 1 The University of Sydney, Australia.,2 The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Australia.,3 Westmead Hospital, Australia
| | | | - Jacob George
- 1 The University of Sydney, Australia.,2 The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Australia.,3 Westmead Hospital, Australia
| | | | - Mark W Douglas
- 1 The University of Sydney, Australia.,2 The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Australia.,3 Westmead Hospital, Australia
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Hopwood M, Lea T, Aggleton P. Multiple strategies are required to address the information and support needs of gay and bisexual men with hepatitis C in Australia. J Public Health (Oxf) 2015; 38:156-62. [PMID: 25626415 DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdv002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is increasingly reported among gay and bisexual men. However, little is known about the personal and social dimensions of HCV-related experience among these men in Australia. METHODS An online survey of 474 Australian gay and bisexual men was conducted from August to December 2013. A subsample of 48 HCV mono-infected and HIV/HCV co-infected men was analysed to explore HCV knowledge, sources of information, unmet information needs and use of HCV-related services. RESULTS More than half of respondents in the subsample were unaware that HIV infection increases the risk of sexually acquired HCV and most wanted information about how to prevent the sexual transmission of HCV. A majority of respondents requested gay-specific HCV services, and approximately similar proportions of men indicated that they would like these services delivered by a hepatitis organization, a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) organization and a HIV organization. Men in receipt of HIV antiretroviral treatments were most likely to request that gay-specific HCV information and support services be delivered by a LGBTI or HIV organization (OR = 8.63). CONCLUSION These findings suggest that a variety of organizations are required to address the information and support needs of Australian gay and bisexual men with HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Hopwood
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales Australia, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Toby Lea
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales Australia, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Peter Aggleton
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales Australia, Sydney 2052, Australia
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14
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Hill R, Pfeil M, Moore J, Richardson B. Living with hepatitis C: a phenomenological study. J Clin Nurs 2014; 24:428-38. [PMID: 24811299 DOI: 10.1111/jocn.12620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To explore the experience of adults living with hepatitis C over time. BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus is a growing problem affecting thousands of people worldwide. The majority of individuals infected develop chronic liver disease, but treatment is not always successful, leaving many to live with the virus indefinitely. Experiences of living with hepatitis C are poorly understood yet essential to meet the needs of an increasing number of affected people. DESIGN A qualitative study using a descriptive phenomenological methodology. METHODS Unstructured interviews were conducted with 23 hepatitis C-positive individuals in the East of England; participants were interviewed twice within a year. RESULTS Data analysis revealed six themes of the experience of living with hepatitis C: hepatitis C and self; hepatitis C, self and others; self and handling hepatitis C; self and handling hepatitis C treatment issues; living with the consequences of hepatitis C; self, hepatitis C and thoughts of the future. CONCLUSIONS Diagnosis of hepatitis C can disrupt people's sense of identity and trigger a life transition. A complex range of factors create uncertainty for people living with hepatitis C. Many struggle to make a healthy transition to life with the condition, instead living in a state of sustained uncertainty. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Nurses working within a chronic care framework of ongoing advice and support can improve experiences for those living with hepatitis C. Practice aimed at reducing both the disruptive effect of the diagnosis and the uncertainties it creates can help facilitate a transition to life with the disease.
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15
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Jack K, Barnett J, Holiday A, Heard G, Thomson B. Hepatitis C therapy at home: a hospital and home care partnership. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 22:518-23. [DOI: 10.12968/bjon.2013.22.9.518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kate Jack
- Kate Jack is Advanced Virology Specialist Nurse, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
| | | | - Amanda Holiday
- Amanda Holiday was Hepatitis Nurse Specialist, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, now retired
| | - Greeba Heard
- Greeba Heard is Head of Private Patient Services (Midlands), Healthcare at Home
| | - Brian Thomson
- Brian Thomson is Associate Clinical Professor and Director of Research and Development, Nottingham University
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Harris M, Rhodes T. Hepatitis C treatment access and uptake for people who inject drugs: a review mapping the role of social factors. Harm Reduct J 2013; 10:7. [PMID: 23651646 PMCID: PMC3686576 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7517-10-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 187] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2012] [Accepted: 04/13/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Evidence documents successful hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment outcomes for people who inject drugs (PWID) and interest in HCV treatment among this population. Maximising HCV treatment for PWID can be an effective HCV preventative measure. Yet HCV treatment among PWID remains suboptimal. This review seeks to map social factors mediating HCV treatment access. Method We undertook a review of the social science and public health literature pertaining to HCV treatment for PWID, with a focus on barriers to treatment access, uptake and completion. Medline and Scopus databases were searched, supplemented by manual and grey literature searches. A two step search was taken, with the first step pertaining to literature on HCV treatment for PWID and the second focusing on social structural factors. In total, 596 references were screened, with 165 articles and reports selected to inform the review. Results Clinical and individual level barriers to HCV treatment among PWID are well evidenced. These include patient and provider concerns regarding co-morbidities, adherence, and side effect management. Social factors affecting treatment access are less well evidenced. In attempting to map these, key barriers fall into the following domains: social stigma, housing, criminalisation, health care systems, and gender. Key facilitating factors to treatment access include: combination intervention approaches encompassing social as well as biomedical interventions, low threshold access to opiate substitution therapy, and integrated delivery of multidisciplinary care. Conclusion Combination intervention approaches need to encompass social interventions in relation to housing, stigma reduction and systemic changes in policy and health care delivery. Future research needs to better delineate social factors affecting treatment access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Harris
- Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H9SH, UK.
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Stewart BJ, Mikocka-Walus AA, Harley H, Andrews JM. Help-seeking and coping with the psychosocial burden of chronic hepatitis C: a qualitative study of patient, hepatologist, and counsellor perspectives. Int J Nurs Stud 2011; 49:560-9. [PMID: 22154094 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2011.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2011] [Revised: 11/03/2011] [Accepted: 11/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic hepatitis C affects millions of people worldwide, may have significant physical consequences, and patients are also at increased risk of psychiatric morbidity. However, it is currently unknown how patients cope with, and seek help for the psychosocial issues which contribute to this psychiatric morbidity. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to qualitatively explore the biopsychosocial burden of chronic hepatitis C, patients' subsequent coping and help-seeking, and the patient-health professional relationship from the different perspectives of patients, hepatologists, and counsellors. METHODS Thirteen patients, five hepatologists, and two hepatitis C specific counsellors from South Australia participated in semi-structured interviews, which were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed thematically. RESULTS All groups perceived chronic hepatitis C as a severe disease involving inextricably intertwined biological, psychological, and social impacts. Negative factors included the impact of diagnosis, stigmatisation, and often unwarranted fears regarding transmission and disease progression. The key positive influences reported across the groups involved information provision and access to informal and formal support. However, a number of barriers were noted to accessing this support, particularly stigmatisation. All respondents highlighted the importance of the patient-health professional relationship. This relationship was perceived to be enhanced by empathetic, compassionate professionals who provided comprehensive information in a sensitive and timely manner. Key negative influences on this relationship included discrimination or inappropriate treatment from mainstream health professionals, time constraints of doctors, patient non-attendance, and discordant views regarding treatment decisions. CONCLUSIONS Reducing the psychosocial impact of chronic hepatitis C requires targeted information provision for patients, the general public, and mainstream health services. This may increase patient education, reduce the extent and impact of stigmatisation, remove barriers to help-seeking, and improve the patient-health professional relationship.
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