HIV and mental health: a scoping review of systematic reviews about motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral interventions for people living with HIV

People living with HIV (PLWH) have a particularly high risk of mental health disorders and are also stigmatized in several ways; both of which can impact their quality of life and mental health. Mental health interventions for PLWH have been widely discussed in a diverse range of reviews; however, most were not conducted according to a systematic methodology. They describe themselves as narrative or non-systematic reviews. This study aims to investigate PLWH-focused Motivational Interviewing and cognitive-behavioral interventions through a scoping review of systematic reviews and reports on which mental health outcomes were analyzed. Fourteen reviews were considered eligible for data extraction and quality assessment. Motivational interviewing, associated with cognitive-behavioral therapy or otherwise, appeared to have a positive impact on multiple outcomes, however, most reviews did not actively assess the degree of rigor of the MI interventions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques, such as cognitive restructuring, assessing and recording dysfunctional thoughts, managing stress, and relaxation, were reported to reduce the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among PLWH.