Impact of a Trauma-Informed Intervention on Psychosocial and HIV Treatment Outcomes Among Older Adults Living with HIV: A Pilot Study

A childhood sexual abuse (CSA) history is more prevalent among people living with HIV and may have lingering effects among older adults living with HIV (OALH). However, studies examining the impact of trauma-informed interventions among OALH are scant. The aim of the study was to determine the preliminary effect of the Coping with Childhood Sexual Abuse, HIV, and Aging (CoSHA) intervention on depressive symptoms, coping and ART adherence among OALH. Data were obtained from 28 OALH recruited from an immunology clinic and an AIDS service organization in South Carolina. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were used to determine the preliminary effect of the intervention on depressive symptoms, coping and ART adherence among OALH from baseline to 6-week, 3- and 6- month follow-up using intention-to-treat analysis. The intervention reduced depressive symptoms over the 6-month period (B=-9.13, 95% CI: -10.3, -8.00). There were also positive changes in planning coping (B = 0.73, 95% CI: -0.08, -1.54) and religious coping (B = 1.13, 95% CI: -0.08, 2.34), and ART adherence (B = 15.2, 95% CI: -0.95, 31.3) but these were borderline statistically significant. Future research should determine the impact of the CoSHA intervention in a full randomized controlled trial.