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Published in: Current Psychiatry Reports 9/2016

01-09-2016 | Disaster Psychiatry: Trauma, PTSD, and Related Disorders (E Foa and A Asnaani, Section Editors)

Treating Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among People Living with HIV: a Critical Review of Intervention Trials

Authors: Carmen P. McLean, Hayley Fitzgerald

Published in: Current Psychiatry Reports | Issue 9/2016

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Abstract

The prevalence rate of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among people living with HIV (PLWH) is significantly higher than the rate among the general population. Moreover, PTS symptoms have been linked with numerous negative health-related outcomes in PLWH. While these findings suggest that studies evaluating the efficacy of treatments for PTS symptoms among PLWH are sorely needed, according to prior reviews, such studies are lacking. The purpose of the present systematic review was to provide an updated critical evaluation of treatment studies that targeted PTS among PLWH. Following PRIMSA guidelines, we searched PubMed and PsycINFO and identified eight articles (representing seven studies) evaluating the impact of various individual and group treatments on PTS symptoms. The limited evidence base to date precludes clinical recommendations for this population. Future studies should examine the efficacy of existing evidence-based treatments for PTSD among PLWH and then, if necessary, evaluate the impact of any treatment modifications for this population.
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Metadata
Title
Treating Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among People Living with HIV: a Critical Review of Intervention Trials
Authors
Carmen P. McLean
Hayley Fitzgerald
Publication date
01-09-2016
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Current Psychiatry Reports / Issue 9/2016
Print ISSN: 1523-3812
Electronic ISSN: 1535-1645
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-016-0724-z

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