Mitigating the Impact of Stigma and Shame Among MSM Living With HIV and Substance Use Disorders

Description

Men who have sex with men (MSM), and gender minority individuals who have sex with men, living with HIV and substance use disorders (SUDs) are less likely to be virally suppressed, which can lead to HIV transmission and negative health outcomes. This hybrid type 1 study will assess the efficacy, mechanisms, as well as facilitators and barriers to implementing the MATTER intervention, a virtually delivered 5-session text-enhanced psychobehavioral intervention designed to facilitate viral suppression by addressing internalized stigma and shame as barriers to engagement in HIV care among MSM and gender minority individuals living with HIV and SUDs in two locations with different levels of HIV resources (i.e., the Boston, Massachusetts and Miami, Florida metro areas). MATTER aims to mitigate the negative behavioral consequences of internalized stigma and shame on viral suppression by a) developing behavioral self-care goal setting skills and related self-efficacy, b) increasing metacognitive awareness (i.e., non-judgmental awareness of emotions and cognitions), and c) teaching and reinforcing compassionate self-restructuring (i.e., self- compassion), in addition to providing access to phone-based resource navigation. Scalable interventions such as MATTER are essential to our efforts to end the HIV epidemic in high priority regions.

Conditions

Hiv, Substance Use Disorders

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

Men who have sex with men (MSM), and gender minority individuals who have sex with men, living with HIV and substance use disorders (SUDs) are less likely to be virally suppressed, which can lead to HIV transmission and negative health outcomes. This hybrid type 1 study will assess the efficacy, mechanisms, as well as facilitators and barriers to implementing the MATTER intervention, a virtually delivered 5-session text-enhanced psychobehavioral intervention designed to facilitate viral suppression by addressing internalized stigma and shame as barriers to engagement in HIV care among MSM and gender minority individuals living with HIV and SUDs in two locations with different levels of HIV resources (i.e., the Boston, Massachusetts and Miami, Florida metro areas). MATTER aims to mitigate the negative behavioral consequences of internalized stigma and shame on viral suppression by a) developing behavioral self-care goal setting skills and related self-efficacy, b) increasing metacognitive awareness (i.e., non-judgmental awareness of emotions and cognitions), and c) teaching and reinforcing compassionate self-restructuring (i.e., self- compassion), in addition to providing access to phone-based resource navigation. Scalable interventions such as MATTER are essential to our efforts to end the HIV epidemic in high priority regions.

Mitigating the Impact of Stigma and Shame as a Barrier to Viral Suppression Among MSM Living With HIV and Substance Use Disorders

Mitigating the Impact of Stigma and Shame Among MSM Living With HIV and Substance Use Disorders

Condition
Hiv
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Miami

Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States, 33199

Boston

Fenway Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * HIV+
  • * MSM or gender minority individuals who report having sex with men
  • * Meet criteria for an illicit (not solely including tobacco, cannabis, or alcohol) SUD
  • * Endorse internalized stigma related to HIV, substance use, sexual orientation, or gender-identity
  • * Unsuppressed HIV VL (\>20 copies/mL).
  • * Provide informed consent in English
  • * Verbally communicate in English and read in English or Spanish
  • * Be ≥18 years old
  • * Provide evidence or documentation of HIV+ status
  • * Release HIV-related health records
  • * Have access to a cell phone with text capacity (study will supplement phones and plans as needed consistent with our pilot work).
  • * Cisgender women
  • * Cisgender heterosexual men

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

Massachusetts General Hospital,

Study Record Dates

2028-07