Published in

Wiley, Cochrane Library, 2010

DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd007192.pub2

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Psychosocial interventions for reducing injection and sexual risk behaviour for preventing HIV in drug users

Journal article published in 2010 by Nicholas Meader ORCID, Ryan Li ORCID, Dc C. Des Jarlais, Stephen Pilling
Distributing this paper is prohibited by the publisher
Distributing this paper is prohibited by the publisher

Full text: Unavailable

Red circle
Preprint: archiving forbidden
Orange circle
Postprint: archiving restricted
Red circle
Published version: archiving forbidden
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

BackgroundDrug users (including both injection drug users and crack cocaine users), are at high levels of risk for contracting HIV. Therefore it is important to reduce the injection and/or sexual risk behaviours of these groups both for the benefit of themselves and for society as a whole.Objectives To assess the efficacy of multi-session psychosocial interventions in comparison with standard education and minimal intervention controls for the reduction of injection and sexual risk behaviour.Search strategyElectronic searches were conducted of a number of bibliographic databases (including Cochrane Library, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO). In addition, other methods of locating papers were employed including contacting various authors working in the field of HIV risk reduction and examining reference lists of applicable papers identified in the electronic search.Selection criteria The inclusion criteria consisted of randomised and quazi-randomised trials assessing the efficacy of psychosocial interventions in the reduction of injection and sexual risk behaviour for people who misused opiates, cocaine, or a combination of these drugs.Data collection and analysisTwo authors independently assessed the eligibility of studies identified by the search strategy, quality assessed these studies and extracted the data. A total of 35 trials met the eligibility criteria of the review providing data on 11,867 participants.Main resultsThere were minimal differences identified between multi-session psychosocial interventions and standard educational interventions for both injection and sexual risk behaviour. Although it should be noted there were large pre-post changes for both groups suggesting both were effective in reducing risk behaviours. In addition, there was some evidence of benefit for multi-session psychosocial interventions when compared with minimal controls. Subgroup analyses suggest that people in formal treatment are likely to respond to multi-session psychosocial interventions. It also appears single-gender groups may be associated with greater benefit.Authors' conclusionsThere is limited support for the widespread use of formal multi-session psychosocial interventions for reducing injection and sexual risk behaviour. Brief standard education interventions appear to be a more cost-effective option. Further research is required to assess if there are particular groups of drug users more likely to respond to such interventions.