Emotional Disclosure in HIV

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The specific objective of this study are to examine whether or not a treatment aimed at emotional disclosure may have beneficial psychological, health and immune effects for HIV infected individuals. The goal of the current study is to test the efficacy of emotional disclosure through writing in patients with HIV infection. We will compare emotional disclosure through writing about traumatic experiences (experimental intervention) to a control intervention (writing about emotionally neutral topics). [Note that HIV RNA viral load, CD4 T cells, urinary cortisol, health related dysfunction, psychological distress, and medication adherence are the 6 primary outcome variables.

Official Title
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Efficacy of an Emotional Disclosure Intervention in HIV

Conditions
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HIV Infections

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Trauma writing
* Behavioral: Writing about daily events


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria 18-65 years of age inclusive At least 8 years of formal education Literate Fluent in English All of the following three must apply: No active Category C HIV AIDS-defining symptoms CD4 T-lymphocyte count between 150-499 Viral load >1000 Exclusion Criteria Less than 8 years formal education Illiterate or non-English speaking Active systemic diseases that would interfere with participation Current alcohol or substance dependence Planned change in HIV medication in the next 6 months, or recent change in past 2 months Introduction of antidepressant medication within 30 days of study start Current psychological counseling, cognitive behavior therapy, support group or other psychological therapy, or plans to start any of the above Diagnosis of PTSD or major depression Unable to attend at least 4 treatment sessions

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Trauma writing<br>Four sessions of writing about traumatic experiences. | Behavioral: Trauma writing<br> <br> |
| Sham Comparator: Writing about daily events<br>Four sessions of writing about their daily experiences. | Behavioral: Writing about daily events<br> <br> |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Decrease in psychological distress |  | 1 year | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Increase in CD4 T-lymphocytes |  | 1 year | 
| Decrease in the number of HIV symptoms |  | 1 year | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Complementary Therapies