Daily associations between PTSD, drinking, and self-appraised alcohol-related problems.

Alcohol dependence (AD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are highly comorbid, yet limited research has focused on PTSD and daily drinking as they relate to self-appraised alcohol-related problems. In treatment contexts, patients' appraisals of alcohol-related problems have implications for assessment, intervention strategies, and prognosis. This study investigated the moderating effect of within-person (daily symptoms) and between-person (overall severity) differences in PTSD on the association between daily drinking and same-day alcohol-related problems.

Prospective prediction of viral suppression and immune response nine months after ART initiation in Seattle, WA.

Knowing at antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation which patients might be at greatest risk for failure to achieve viral suppression would enable providers to target patients most in need and tailor their care appropriately. This study involved multilevel modeling of data from a randomized controlled trial among outpatients in Seattle, WA, USA. The 224 participants initiating or switching ART at baseline were 24% female, 34% heterosexual, and 47% Caucasian.

Patient-level moderators of the efficacy of peer support and pager reminder interventions to promote antiretroviral adherence.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) greatly reduces morbidity and mortality for people with HIV/AIDS. However, for optimal effectiveness patients must achieve strict adherence to dosing regimens, which is difficult to maintain over the long term. Interventions to improve adherence have shown promising results, but with small effects.

Peer interventions to promote health: conceptual considerations.

Peers have intervened to promote health since ancient times, yet few attempts have been made to describe theoretically their role and their interventions. After a brief overview of the history and variety of peer-based health interventions, a 4-part definition of peer interveners is presented here with a consideration of the dimensions of their involvement in health promotion. Then, a 2-step process is proposed as a means of conceptualizing peer interventions to promote health.

Are peer interventions for HIV efficacious? A systematic review.

Behavioral interventions to prevent HIV or assist HIV-positive persons often incorporate peers, yet empirical support for their efficacy is only recently accumulating. We describe the results of a review of the global literature, identifying 117 studies evaluating the efficacy of peer-based interventions in the area of HIV/AIDS. About half were conducted in the developing world and half in Western nations.

Prevention needs of HIV-positive men and women awaiting release from prison.

Greater understanding of barriers to risk reduction among incarcerated HIV+ persons reentering the community is needed to inform culturally tailored interventions. This qualitative study elicited HIV prevention-related information, motivation and behavioral skills (IMB) needs of 30 incarcerated HIV+ men and women awaiting release from state prison. Unmet information needs included risk questions about viral loads, positive sexual partners, and transmission through casual contact.

Hypnotizability as a potential risk factor for posttraumatic stress: a review of quantitative studies.

The authors review the literature relating hypnotizability and posttraumatic stress. Sixty-seven abstracts containing the key terms ASD, acute stress, trauma, traumatic, or PTSD in combination with either hypnotic susceptibility or hypnotizability were reviewed. Six articles were found containing data on hypnotizability and posttraumatic stress symptoms.

The negative syndrome as a dimension: factor analyses of PANSS in major depressive disorder and organic brain disease compared with negative syndrome structures found in the schizophrenia literature.

Objective: To explore the concept of the negative syndrome as a dimensional entity that exists in multiple primary diagnoses, and to compare the negative syndrome in nonschizophrenic disorders and schizophrenia.

Background: Although initially considered specific to schizophrenia, the negative syndrome has subsequently been described in major depression, stroke, and dementia.

Method: We performed an exploratory factor analysis on Positive and Negative Symptom Scale scores of 82 subjects with major depressive disorder and 76 subjects with organic brain disease (dementia or stroke).