Paul Colson, Ph.D., DA Johnson, Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, Sharon Mannheimer, MD, Judy Samuels, Ph.D. Research Activities and Results Investigators developed referral agreements with staff of Harlem Hospital Departments of Psychiatry and Infectious Disease, and made several presentations on HIV among PSMD at Psychiatry Grand Rounds. Respondents were greatly affected by the stigma associated with the two conditions. Many openly acknowledged one and refused to disclose the other. Most received services exclusively from either Psychiatry or Infectious Disease. Concerns about side effects, drug interactions and toxicity caused delays in seeking treatment.
Respondents use alarms, pillboxes and support from family or workers to manage the two regimens.
A paper on this exploratory work will be presented at the 2001 Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association. Policy Implications Incidence of HIV among PSMD, particularly among African Americans, is high. Mental health problems may interfere with an individual s ability and motivation to follow treatment regimens as HIV regimens are demanding, especially in conjunction with psychotropic regimens. This project adapts the HATS intervention for PSMD and includes more substantial PSMD peer-driven training on mental health issues for study participants.