agenda focused on the intersections of HIV and substance use disorders and the the integration of screening and treatment for substance use disorders and HIV care.
Research initiatives related to HIV and substance use disorders include:
- Conducting a literature review on the impact of substance use on HIV care and treatment outcomes and identifying priorities for implementation and operations research to guide the scale up of screening and treatment for substance use disorders within universal HIV treatment.
- Leading the development and implementation of a survey on substance use screening tools utilized in IeDEA regions.
- Examining the integration of substance use screening and treatment services in HIV care at IeDEA sites, globally.
- Studying substance use disorders among people living with HIV in Cameroon. Studies include work to understand the prevalence and correlates of hazardous drinking among PLWH in Cameroon in order to inform the adaptation, integration, and evaluation of substance use screening and treatment into HIV systems of care. Additionally, through a longitudinal analysis of depression symptoms and alcohol use among HIV patients, we are examining the effects of depressive symptoms on alcohol use patterns among PLWH newly enrolled in HIV care and assessing whether HIV disclosure moderates the effect of depressive symptoms on alcohol use patterns in these individuals.
CA-IeDEA’s research on HIV and substance use disorders is led by Dr. Kathryn Lancaster of The Ohio State University.