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Treating Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among People Living with HIV: a Critical Review of Intervention Trials

  • Disaster Psychiatry: Trauma, PTSD, and Related Disorders (E Foa and A Asnaani, Section Editors)
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Abstract

The prevalence rate of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among people living with HIV (PLWH) is significantly higher than the rate among the general population. Moreover, PTS symptoms have been linked with numerous negative health-related outcomes in PLWH. While these findings suggest that studies evaluating the efficacy of treatments for PTS symptoms among PLWH are sorely needed, according to prior reviews, such studies are lacking. The purpose of the present systematic review was to provide an updated critical evaluation of treatment studies that targeted PTS among PLWH. Following PRIMSA guidelines, we searched PubMed and PsycINFO and identified eight articles (representing seven studies) evaluating the impact of various individual and group treatments on PTS symptoms. The limited evidence base to date precludes clinical recommendations for this population. Future studies should examine the efficacy of existing evidence-based treatments for PTSD among PLWH and then, if necessary, evaluate the impact of any treatment modifications for this population.

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  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, 3535 Market St., Suite 600 North, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Carmen P. McLean & Hayley Fitzgerald

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  1. Carmen P. McLean
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Correspondence to Carmen P. McLean.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Disaster Psychiatry: Trauma, PTSD, and Related Disorders

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McLean, C.P., Fitzgerald, H. Treating Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among People Living with HIV: a Critical Review of Intervention Trials. Curr Psychiatry Rep 18, 83 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-016-0724-z

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