Lecture Links HIV and Mental health

Dr. Kathleen J. Sikkema, Director of Clinical Psychology, Social and Behavioral Science, and the Center for AIDS Research at Duke University, gave a lecture on HIV transmission and mental health Tuesday afternoon in the J. Ray Ryan Refectory.

The lecture, which Sikkema delivered to a room full of students and colleagues, focused primarily on the interconnectedness between psychological trauma and transmission risk behavior in HIV-positive adults.

"We must think about the relationship between [mental health and HIV prevention] as synergistic," Sikkema said. "It's about the burden this disease causes [on everyday life]."

Throughout the presentation, Sikkema cited a multitude of studies – some conducted by UConn Department of Psychology Professor Seth Kalichman – conducted throughout the past decade as exemplary of this notion.

The lecturer discussed her intervention program, Living in the Face of Trauma (LIFT), at length. LIFT is described by the United States Center for Disease Control's website as "a group-level coping intervention for HIV-positive persons who experienced childhood sexual abuse."

"I'm a big advocate for group intervention," Sikkema said. "The power of a group can be strong, particularly in these potentially shameful scenarios."

Sikkema's intervention, which took place in New York City over the course of 15 90-minute sessions, comprised over 257 women and gay men living with HIV/AIDS. Sikkema relayed high levels of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, homelessness, incarcerations and substance abuse in participants, as well as the shocking degrees to which many had suffered adolescent trauma.

Despite these figures, Sikkema said, "we were naively surprised with how few people had shared their [experiences with childhood sexual abuse] in the past."

Participants in the coping group reported much lower levels of traumatic stress – which can include nightmares and intrusive thoughts – as well as avoidant coping – which includes binge drinking and drug abuse. Participants also exhibited remarkably lower proclivities toward transmission risk behavior – which can include unprotected sexual intercourse – reported the doctor.

According to the UConn Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention (CHIP) website, few positive prevention interventions have integrated mental health treatments in this way.

Following the presentation, Sikkema shared experiences and figures from her research in South Africa, most of which focuses on trauma and gendered abuse of alcohol, as well as its correlations with HIV contraction and violence. She provided insights into how therapy may be provided in this region, where there are drastically few options for survivors of abuse, before taking questions for the audience.
The lecture was part of a series sponsored by the UConn Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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