Immediate initiation of antiretroviral treatment: knowledge, attitudes, and practices among clinic staff in New York City.

Background: Immediate initiation of antiretroviral treatment (iART) is a proven intervention that significantly decreases time to viral suppression and increases patient retention. iART involves starting medication as early as possible, often after a reactive rapid HIV test or re-engagement in care, although it does not have a universal definition. We aimed to understand iART from an implementation science perspective in a wide range of New York City (NYC) clinics providing HIV primary care, including staff knowledge, attitudes, and practices, as well as clinic barriers and facilitators to iART.

Association between HIV clinic caseloads and viral load suppression in New York City.

The relationship between HIV patient caseload and a clinic's ability to achieve viral load suppression (VLS) in their HIV patient population is not understood. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) administered a survey to clinics providing HIV care to people living with HIV (PLWH) in NYC in 2016. Clinics were stratified by quartiles of HIV patient caseload and dichotomized by whether ≥85% (= 36) or <85% (= 74) of their patients achieved VLS.

Rationale, design and pilot feasibility results of a smartphone-assisted, mindfulness-based intervention for smokers with mood disorders: Project mSMART MIND.

Background: Although individuals with psychiatric disorders are disproportionately affected by cigarette smoking, few outpatient mental health treatment facilities offer smoking cessation services. In this paper, we describe the development of a smartphone-assisted mindfulness smoking cessation intervention with contingency management (SMI-CM), as well as the design and methods of an ongoing pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) targeting smokers receiving outpatient psychiatric treatment. We also report the results of an open-label pilot feasibility study.

Can Policy Interventions Affect HIV-Related Behaviors? A Systematic Review of the Evidence from Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

In their response to HIV, many countries have adopted and enacted policies to reduce transmission and increase HIV-related service use. Theoretically, policy-level interventions for HIV prevention have the potential to improve health behavior outcomes. These policy interventions vary in their scale, from relatively minor changes in clinical policy to major national legal initiatives.

Multidimensional effects of acculturation on English-language neuropsychological test performance among HIV+ Caribbean Latinas/os.

Acculturation has been linked to neuropsychological performance in several ethnic groups. However, research among Latina/o samples has examined primarily Mexicans/Mexican Americans and has not examined Latina/o clinical populations of Caribbean descent. This study examined associations between a multidimensional acculturation measure and neuropsychological performance among 82 HIV+ Caribbean Latina/o adults.

Cultural influences on antiretroviral therapy adherence among HIV-infected Puerto Ricans.

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is integral to the successful treatment of HIV infection. Research has indicated that HIV-infected Latinos may have difficulty adhering to ART. While studies have demonstrated strong relationships between numerous psychosocial factors and ART adherence, no research has examined if cultural factors are also involved in ART adherence among Latinos.

Neuropsychological, cognitive, and theoretical considerations for evaluation of bilingual individuals.

As the number of bilinguals in the USA grows rapidly, it is increasingly important for neuropsychologists to be equipped and trained to address the unique challenges inherent in conducting ethical and competent neuropsychological evaluations with this population. Research on bilingualism has focused on two key cognitive mechanisms that introduce differences between bilinguals and monolinguals: (a) reduced frequency of language-specific use (weaker links), and (b) competition for selection within the language system in bilinguals (interference). Both mechanisms are needed to explain how bilingualism affects neuropsychological test performance, including the robust bilingual disadvantages found on verbal tasks, and more subtle bilingual advantages on some measures of cognitive control.